The Black Dagger
by Small Black Kitten
Summary: A Dark Elf Assassin is sent to Asgard as part of a peace treaty and she is assigned to look after Prince Loki. They become the most unlikely of friends, getting sucked into mischief and journeys with Thor, Sif, and the Warriors Three. But darkness is brewing on other realms, friendships are tested, and pasts are dark places to be. Which side will the assassin choose? Pre-Thor, AU
1. Chapter 1

_"Do you understand your task?"_

_"Yes, your majesty."_ The assassin assured the Queen.

_"Good. You will ride to the Bifrost site and be transported to Asgard within the hour. If you are a second late, the peace agreements will be cancelled and our war will resume. Go, serve my last command well."_

The assassin bowed to the Queen and left the throne room. She felt her stomach start to turn with anticipation. She had taken on many hard assignments the queen had given her, but this… this was strange. None of it made sense. It was all so sudden. She found her escort and they rode their Ice Wolves to the Bifrost site. The ride seemed to last forever as her thoughts spun around in her head like a storm. When they finally reached their destination, she separated from the guards that had escorted her and left her borrowed Ice Wolf with them. She stood on the exact spot, and waited.

* * *

Loki had been waiting for almost an hour when finally Heimdall had said the elf was ready. When the figure appeared, he couldn't help but stare in awe at her small feminine form. She had shoulder length silver hair and ash colored skin. Unlike the light elves, whose ears curved into a majestic little point, dark elves had ears that curved into a long sharp point. The top of her head barely came up to the middle of his chest. She had strange golden eyes that seemed to glow, but was currently squinting at the sudden change in brightness. She had a glint of danger in her eyes which made Loki cautious. She was dressed in black skin-tight clothes, and a black cloak with daggers strapped around her arms, legs, and thighs and a bag and bow slung over her shoulder. He had read about dark elves in books, and seen illustrations of them, but he had never seen a dark elf in person.

After an awkward silence, with the dark elf glaring at them in annoyance, Loki heard Thor speak up beside him. "What is your name, elf?"

"Terezah." She stated.

"I am Prince Thor, of Asgard. And this is my younger brother, Loki. We will take you to the Palace to meet the Allfather. Do you know how to ride a horse?"

Loki, Thor, the guards, and Terezah rode back to the palace on horses. They had brought an extra horse for her, assuming she knew how to ride it, but she didn't. Apparently, she had never seen a horse in her life. She rode with one of the guards, and Loki noticed when she gracefully twisted onto the saddle behind the appointed guard, the guard winced. Loki remembered all the rumors that circulated throughout Asgard about the dark elves. They were outrageous, but most people believed them.

* * *

Terezah walked up the steps to the palace of Asgard. Two guards walked at her sides. Another guard was in front of her and another behind her. _Whatever makes them feel safe._ _These guards are clumsy. _She thought to herself as one of the guards next to her nearly tripped. She admired the golden buildings all around her. This is Asgard. Everything was so peaceful. A breeze blew past her, carrying the scent of something sweet. The morning sun shone overhead, and a few wispy clouds filled the sky.

As they entered the palace, she studied every corridor, every room, and every hall as they made their way to the throne room. Stone columns lined the sides of the halls leading up to gigantic golden doors, intricately carved. Two guards stood at either side of the doors, and as they approached, the guards pulled the doors open.

There was a huge throne in the middle of the room and many seats to the sides where fancily dressed men and women stared at her, then whispered to the people next to them. They stared at her with scrutinizing eyes, some with disgust, and others with awe. She felt a pang of nervousness enter her. She had never been around so many Asgardians before. Suddenly there was a loud bang and the room fell silent. The guards had lead her up to the base of the throne and departed to the sides of the room. The princes went and stood on either side of the enormous throne where an old but wise looking man sat. Odin. He held a staff in his hand, and she assumed that's where the noise had come from.

"Do you understand why you have come here?" Odin asked

"Yes."

"Part of the agreement with your queen was that you would still be permitted to use your fighting abilities, but you will use them for the cause of Asgard. If you cause any harm or do any bad deed, you will be banished from Asgard and sent back to Svartalfheim. The peace treaty will be broken and the war will resume. Do you understand the weight of your situation?"

"Yes."

Odin paused to see if she was sincere. "After much consideration, I have decided the role you will assume. You will be the personal guard to my youngest son, Loki." Odin didn't bother looking at his son, but Terezah did. Loki had snapped his gaze towards his father in anger and protest. Odin paid no heed to his son and continued. "You first must swear that you will not cause any harm while you are here, and that you will remain in the service of the House of Odin." She said her agreements and Odin continued. "Now you will be shown to your chambers and begin your new duties by noon. Loki will accompany you." Odin then dismissed her and she started following Loki down the hallway.

* * *

There was a long silence as the two walked together. Finally, Loki broke the silence. "I don't need a babysitter. Especially from a dark elf." He spat.

"I have come here to serve the House of Odin and he has appointed me to protect you. That is what I will do."

They stopped at the end of a hallway and Loki opened the door. Inside it was rather dark, and looked as if it hadn't been touched for ages. The first thing Terezah noticed was the stale smell and the worn out appearance of the room. There was a small bed in the corner of the room with grey blankets and pillows. There was an empty trunk by the side of the bed to put her stuff in, as well as a dresser to put her clothes in. On the floor by her bed was a tattered grey rug to match her bed. "This is nice." Terezah commented sarcastically while going over to sit on the bed. She put her bag on the bed and started unpacking it. Loki's eyes widened as she pulled out more and more daggers.

"More daggers?" Loki asked standing next to her dresser on the opposite wall of her bed.

"Yeah… I might as well bring them with me seeing as I'm never going back home." She picked up her bow to study it and make sure it wasn't damaged on the way here.

"Where are your arrows? Do you expect us to give you more weapons?" Loki sneered. He jumped when a sleek black arrow shot past him and hit the wall a mere inch from his head.

"Quivers are too much of a distraction and too loud with all the arrows moving around in it. I prefer to conjure them with magic. It lessens the time it takes to shoot and you never run out." She said with a smirk.

"You could have killed me!" Loki shouted angrily.

"Listen… I was the best of the best. That's why I was the Queen's personal guard. I know my trade." She said defiantly. Loki noticed how her true arrogant self was starting to show through her previous refrained nature.

She set her bow on her dresser and put her daggers in the empty trunk. She then placed her extra clothes in the dresser and pulled on a black cloak. She was dressed in all black, including black weapons. Finally she got her bow and swung it over her shoulder. Loki left the room, and she trailed behind him silently. Loki almost wondered if she was there after a while because he couldn't hear her. When he looked back at her, her golden eyes were darting everywhere. He was a little surprised at how quiet she could be. Terezah met his gaze and lifted an eyebrow. He quickly looked back ahead of him.

"These are my chambers." Loki said as he passed his room's intricate golden doors.

"Intriguing…" He heard the dark elf say as she studied his door.

"Lokitty!" He heard a giddy female voice call out. He turned to see Freya rushing towards him. When she finally reached him, she wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him, she then kissed him lightly on the cheek.

"Lady Freya," Loki said with a smile, "How are you this pleasant day?"

"I am well Loki." She said finally noticing the dark elf staring at her, golden eyes darting between the two. "Who's the freaky lady? She's creeping me out! Send her away or something!" Freya said angrily.

"I'm sorry, but this is my new personal body guard. She will be following me around everywhere from now on."

"And who's this?" Terezah asked.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Freya, Goddess of Love and Beauty. And you are?"

"Terezah."

"No title? Not that accomplished, are we?" Freya said with a sneer.

"Oh please. I can think of over a hundred ways to kill you where you stand. It's called years of training and experience. Something a fine lady of your… stature… has yet to even see." Terezah shot back.

"Lokitty, I have more important things to do than quarrel with this rat. Tell me she's not going to accompany us on our special outing tomorrow!" Freya whined.

Loki thought this over, ready to work his silver tongue, when Thor came barreling down the hall followed by Lady Sif and The Warriors Three. "Brother!" Thor shouted. "How is your new guard doing?! I was so excited to hear it was you who would receive such a fine lady as a guard!" Loki couldn't help but sigh as Thor said this. He turned slowly to Thor. "Yes. I am overjoyed. Father has assigned me a babysitter."

Thor barely noticed Lady Freya slipping away from the group and down another hall. Terezah glared at her with each step she took. "She does not look happy brother. You must have done something to make her upset already." Thor said this with a playful grin as he took a step towards Terezah.

"Lady Terezah, forgive my brother of whatever he has done to upset you. He does not know how to woo a lady." Loki looked at Thor irritably. Thor had always been the first one to point out his flaws with being around women.

"Who are your friends?" Terezah asked, changing the subject.

"This is Lady Sif, Fandral, Hogun, and Volstagg. I would introduce you to Loki's friends, but I'm afraid I can't remember the titles of his books." After Thor said this he started laughing hysterically, not noticing Loki's disapproving scowl.

"Brother, what is it that you need?" Loki asked impatiently.

Thor finally stopped laughing and turned to Lady Sif and the Warriors Three. "We were wondering if you would spar with us at the training grounds."

"I can't. I'm busy." Loki said and started to turn away. Thor placed a hand on Loki's shoulder and said, "Brother, you have to! Come on! It will be fun!"

Loki rolled his eyes, knowing he wasn't going to get out of it this time. "Fine. I will come and watch, but I will not join you." Thor beamed at his victory and they started walking in the direction of the training grounds.

"What was that all about with 'Lady Freya'?" Terezah asked.

"Nothing that is important enough to talk about. If you so much as tell a soul, you will be gone before tomorrow. You've only been here an hour. Don't think you have permission to intrude on my life more than you already have!" Loki hissed. This surprised her slightly. The prince had gone from formal to angry in seconds. As they step out from the shade of the palace, the sun's heat hit them both.

"Fine. Just asking in case she was a threat." She said trying to cover it up.

"Freya?! A threat!? She doesn't even know how to lift a sword properly! How do I know you aren't the threat? You might have been sent here to kill me. You already tried."

"I did not try to kill you!"

"Just stay out of my way, elf! I don't need protection." Loki snapped.

"How am I supposed to stay out of your way? I'm your 'personal body guard'."

"Dark elves are known for stealth, correct? Guard me from afar! I don't want to hear you, see you, or even sense your presence. I don't want to be seen as 'The Asgardian prince who's so weak he needs a bodyguard'!"

Terezah was about to respond when they reached the grounds and Lady Sif interrupted. "Getting along wonderfully I see."

Terezah glared at Loki, and Loki glared back. "We were just talking." Thor was in the middle of a duel with an unfortunate guard. Loki, Terezah, and Sif went and sat down on a bench by Volstagg to watch. Terezah studied Thor's fighting technique. She wondered how Asgardians could be so jovial. Back home, most everyone was serious in what they did. She looked around at the training grounds. There was a building in the middle of a field, with at least ten training rings around it. The ground inside the circle was dirt, with green grass growing just outside the ring. There were stone benches where guards sat waiting to spar with the prince. In other rings, guards were sparring, sweating heavily under the heat of the noon sun. When the match was over, Thor went over to where the four were sitting. "Brother! You must spar with me!" He pleaded.

"Sorry brother, but I am out of practice as of late. Maybe my new 'guard' would take my place." Loki said glaring at Terezah.

Terezah glared back but decided to accept the challenge so she stood and entered the ring with Thor. She unsheathed her black sword and he raised his own sword. "I will take it easy on you, seeing as you are both small and a lady." She waited for Thor to make the first move. He charged at her, but she quickly dodged and slid behind him as he passed her. As he turned to find her, she quickly slid between his legs and was behind him yet again. In a flash, she kicked the back of his knee and he stumbled. He swung his sword at her, but she blocked it with her black sword, and twisted his sword out of his grasp. He charged at her again, more aware of her agility, with another sword in hand. Their swords met and Thor used his strength to knock her to the ground. He pointed his sword at her head, but she rolled away from the sharp point of his sword and quickly stood back up. She leaped into the air and flipped over him using his shoulders as leverage, and she landed behind him. She kicked the back of his knee as hard as she could and he fell. As he struggled to get back up a sharp point of a black dagger rested on his throat.

"Lady Terezah… you are very talented…" He said as he stood up and retrieved his sword. Terezah sheathed her dagger and brushed the dust off her clothes. She went back to the bench and sat next to Loki, but not too close. All three on the bench watched her in shock as she sat next to them. Nobody had defeated Thor that quick in a long time. "It seems my new guard has humbled Thor." Loki said with a grin. Terezah scowled at him and stood up.

"Where are you going?" Loki asked.

"Not a sound." She said, forcing him to remember what he had said earlier. She blew him a taunting kiss and disappeared, but Loki could still feel those golden eyes watching him. Seeing her defeat his brother that quickly made him realize why the queen had requested she be allowed to remain a guard. The skill she had shown, could only have been achieved after centuries of practice and experience. She was trained to be a killer.

* * *

Loki continued looking for a book on dark elves. He came across a dark red book with silver jewels encrusted into the front of it, ancient runes scattered around the cover. The book was titled "Dark Elven Language and Culture". He looked for more books but only found the one. He retreated to his favorite spot in the library and sat down. Opening the book he started to read. He tried to focus on the text but couldn't concentrate knowing she was still watching him from somewhere. Maybe he should have just told her to be quiet. It was unnerving to have a killer hiding in the shadows watching every step you made. He sighed. "Are you still there Terezah? Come out!"

He was answered by silence. Maybe she hadn't been following him. He started reading again when a voice suddenly spoke into his ear. "What are you reading about, lover boy?" Loki almost jumped out of his seat. He hadn't even heard her right next to him! "Don't do that!" He said angrily.

"What…? SCARE you?" Terezah asked with a smirk on her face.

"You didn't scare me… just surprised me."

"Aww… you're reading about my culture... Sudden interest in dark elves?"

Loki looked at her annoyed. "This book says nothing about conjuring weapons. Are you sure you weren't sent here to kill me?" Loki asked to try and make her mad.

When he looked to where she had been, all there was left was a small black dagger. "Well… seeing as its dinner time and I haven't eaten at all since yesterday, I'm going to take Thor up on his offer and join him and the Warriors Three and Lady Sif for supper. Shout if you need me." She then turned on her heel and left the library. Loki waited until he was sure she was gone to pick up the dagger.

It had a jet black blade about as long as his hand and a hilt a shade lighter. The craftsmanship was magnificent. The hilt was sleek and fit perfectly in his hand. He held the dagger and studied it some more. He remembered the black arrow she had shot at him earlier and decided to go and get it. He picked up the book on dark elves and the dagger and started walking towards the direction of her room. He turned down hall after hall and finally found her door. It was locked, but he muttered a spell and the door clicked. He opened it and stepped into the room. The black arrow was still stuck in the wall, as she had probably forgotten to take it out.

He yanked it from the wall and hurriedly left the dark room and locked the door behind him. Her room was fairly close to his chambers. He opened the golden door and walked into his room. Books lay everywhere. On his chairs, desk, and all over the floor. He sat on his emerald green bed and studied the arrow. Just like the dagger, it was sleek and black with a crude tip. As he looked closer he noticed a rune on the arrow head. He looked at the dagger and found the same rune on the hilt. Opening his book on dark elves, he looked for a section on their language. He found the rune and looked at the translation under it: Shadow Warrior.

"Shadow Warrior…" He muttered out loud. He put the arrow and dagger on a desk by his bed. He thumbed through the book to try and find anything on a Shadow Warrior. He found nothing. Frustrated, he let the book drop to the floor. He left his room and was on his way to the library when he heard the loud voice of Thor shout, "That is most amazing!" Loki turned and went into the dinner hall. He stopped short and almost gawked at what he saw.

Thor, the Warriors Three and Lady Sif were all sitting at their table. Terezah was doing a handstand on the table, balancing a plate of food on each foot while Volstagg was trying to reach them. "Brother! This is most amazing! She has been like this for over ten minutes now!" Thor said with a huge grin. When He saw Terezah meet his gaze, she kicked the plates of food up into the air and did a flip off the table landing on her feet. She quickly caught the plates which still had the food on them perfectly balanced. She set the plates on the table and Volstagg quickly claimed them. "Where have you been brother?" Thor asked.

"I was reading an intriguing book."

"You must join us!"

Loki sat down next to Thor and Terezah quickly vanished. "Your guard is very talented!" Volstagg beamed. Loki just looked down at his plate of food. He had insulted her earlier without need and felt slightly guilty about it, though he would never admit it. He couldn't stop thinking about the Shadow Warrior. He had never heard of it. The book had the rune, but not an explanation.

* * *

Terezah was watching the room on top of a large marble column. She had taken Fandral's challenge and succeeded at balancing Volstagg's food on her feet. She wasn't missing home at all. Asgard was much more fun. There was one thing she would always miss though. Her mother's grave. On her mother's birthday each year she would take a bouquet of her favorite flowers. Her mother had died while protecting her from her father's drunken rage. Ever since then, she had vowed she would become strong enough so that she wouldn't suffer the same fate as her mother. Her mother had been her hero. She felt her eyes sting as tears threatened to flow. She touched the scar on her shoulder her father had given her that fateful day.

She snapped out of thought and back to Loki. It was a weird feeling to be protective of someone so soon. He was a jerk and had basically told her to go away. She would play his little charade. Thor and his friends were very accepting. She had expected to be treated the way Freya was treating her by everyone. Asgardians aren't all that bad…

* * *

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	2. Chapter 2

Loki woke to morning light filling his room. He groaned and put a pillow over his eyes to block the light. "Good morning Lokitty!" He heard a voice screech. He threw the pillow in Terezah's direction but she quickly dodged it. His eyes shot open as he remembered the events from the previous day. He sat up and looked at her. She was dressed in the same outfit she had worn the previous day but she wasn't wearing the cloak. Her shoulders and neck were clearly exposed. "Why are you in here?" He asked angrily.

"Your mother is looking for you. It's almost nine…" She said as she glanced at Loki's pale torso. He was actually very muscular, but his tall appearance and slim body made him appear slightly scrawny in her opinion. She laughed and said, "Hey… you're not as scrawny as you look!"

Loki threw another pillow at her which she quickly dodged again. "What does my mother need?" Loki asked slightly irritated as he swung his legs out from under his covers. "I don't know. She just asked me where you were and I told her you were up late reading so you were probably still asleep and then she-" Loki cut her off. "Fine. I'll be out in a little while. Get out!" He hissed.

"Fine Lokitty. See ya later!" She said as she walked towards the door. "Don't call me Lokitty!"

"Yes your majesty." She said with a mock bow and left the room. Loki stood up and pulled on a shirt. How had she even gotten in his room? His door had been locked and he didn't have any windows… just a balcony… she had climbed the balcony. After he had washed and gotten dressed in his armor, he was about to leave his room when he remembered the black dagger and arrow. He walked back to his desk and opened the wooden drawer. In it were the weapons and a couple books. He pulled out the black dagger and looked over it again. It was such a beautiful weapon. He tucked the dagger in his boot. The dagger fit there perfectly and felt like it was made to fit in small places.

Why he wanted to keep it with him he didn't know. Usually he didn't carry around weapons, just books. He finally headed out the door and immediately Terezah started following him. Maybe she had forgotten about what he had said yesterday. Her presence felt reassuring, and as much as he hated to admit it, she made him feel safer. He headed towards the dining hall where Thor would most likely be. He looked back over his shoulder to see Terezah had vanished. So she had remembered.

He finally got to the dining hall and sure enough there was Thor and his friends, still eating and making fun. "Brother! You finally join us! Usually you always awake first." Thor said with his hearty grin. "Is Lady Terezah accompanying you this morning?" Thor asked looking around disappointedly.

"No. I believe she has disappeared again." He got a plate of food and sat a little ways away from Thor and his group.

* * *

Terezah had been up since before the sun had risen. She had waited outside of Loki's room for about five minutes before deciding to explore the palace. She had wandered around the enormous halls and found herself lost. In every direction she turned she was met by another hall that had more rooms and entrances to other hallways. Finally she saw queen Frigga walking past her, a couple handmaidens at her sides.

"Good morning. Remind me of your name again, dear." Frigga was absolutely beautiful and her eyes shone with kindness and wisdom.

"My name is Terezah." She replied respectfully.

"And how are you getting along?"

"I am faring well my queen." Terezah said with a small smile.

"I am glad. I was worried you would not fit in well. It looks like my son Thor and his friends enjoy your company."

"Yes. Thor and his friends are very joyful company…" Terezah trailed off, not wanting to say anything about Loki that would offend her.

"Loki is a very complicated person to be around," Frigga said with a concerned look. "He is not very good with change, but if you give him time he will adjust." Frigga smiled at the dark elf. "Where is Loki?" She asked.

"I believe he is still asleep. He was up reading rather late." Frigga nodded understanding.

"I must get back to Loki… Do you know which way his chambers are…? I'm rather…. lost…"

"I was actually coming to find you. I know how hard it must be to be in a strange land with strange people, so I brought you a book I thought might help you." Frigga smiled, handing her the book she was carrying. Terezah had never met someone so kind and considerate. In her line of work, it had always been everyone for themselves. She was not saying dark elves were a cruel people, they just liked to keep to themselves.

She took the book from the queen and read the title. _Royal Grounds of Asgard._ Who would write a book on the property of the royal family? "Thank you." Terezah said.

"I also thought you might want this…" the queen said handing her a key. "It's a key to Loki's chamber in case you need to get in there." Terezah grinned, thinking of all the things she could do to Loki now. Then she paused. The queen had only met her the day before and she was giving her a detailed book about the palace and grounds of Asgard's Royal family and a key to her son's room. Frigga was placing a lot of trust in a peace offering from their archenemy.

"My queen, I mean no disrespect but how can you trust me when we just barely met?" Terezah asked puzzled.

Frigga smiled warmly. "I know you are in a delicate situation. Most people have been saying you have come here to cause mayhem, but you need someone to believe in you. You may come from the other side of the battlefield, but that does not mean you are a bad person. During negotiations with your queen, she told us about you and your skill set. I see now that she was right. You do have a glow of loyalty to you. I do not believe you would hurt us."

Terezah was slightly stunned by what the queen had just said. "Thank you my queen." Was all she could say, but she meant it. Frigga started to walk again. "I would love to have tea with you sometime. I have duties to attend to. Have a most pleasant day." Terezah stood there long after Frigga had left. She opened the book and looked through it. In between some pages in the middle of the book, was a piece of folded paper. She took it out and unfolded it. It showed a detailed map of the palace and had Loki's chambers circled in red. She smiled to herself. Nobody had shown her that amount of kindness in centuries than Frigga had in those few minutes. She put the map and key in her pocket after studying the map for a while and headed towards Loki's chambers.

She had to pull the map back out once or twice to find out where she was at. She passed many servants and maids in the halls, many of which would move as far away from her as possible. Until now she hadn't realized just how much she really stuck out. All the Asgardians had tan and fair skin while she had ash grey skin and silver hair… She had been the queen's personal guard/assassin for a long time, and she had gotten in the habit of thinking like one. If she stuck out like a sore thumb, then she would easily be spotted wherever she went. If Loki's life were in danger it would be harder to save him if she stuck out from the crowd…

She remembered a mission the queen had sent her on a long time ago. She had been sent to assassinate an important light elf senator on their world. She had spent more than two months there and before she had gone on the mission, her queen had shown her a spell that had made an illusion which changed her skin and hair color. She thought back to it and tried to remember what the spell was. Finally she was outside Loki's door. She pressed her long pointy ear against the door to hear if there was any movement. After a couple seconds, she took out the key Frigga had given her and slid it into the lock. She turned it and the door clicked. Terezah grinned and silently pushed the door open and slid in the room, locking the door behind her.

The first thing she noticed was his specific color selection. His bed was green and pillows were green, his chairs and couch were green, his rug on the marble floor was green, and so were the curtains that hung around his bed. _Yeesh… Loki is OBSESSED with green… _His chambers were huge. It had several rooms that combined to his room. Before waking him up she decided to look around. She went into the first room. There were two gigantic rows of books just like the library and an emerald green chair by the farthest wall. She went to the next room. It appeared to be a bathroom so she didn't go in. The next room had several suits of leather and metal armor and green capes. She went back to the main room where Loki's bed and desk was. There was a balcony that had an amazing view of the golden city below.

She finally went to wake Loki up. She pushed the heavy green curtains open, light spilled into the dark bed. His blankets settled around his waist, exposing a pale muscular chest. His raven black hair was spread over his pillow and for the first time since being around him, he didn't look irritated. She cut herself short of admiring the prince when he pulled a pillow over his eyes. "Good morning Lokitty!" She shouted. She decided to make him mad by calling him the pet name Freya had given him. He threw a green pillow at her but she quickly dodged.

She watched as his emerald eyes shot open and he sat up, the blanket falling off his stomach exposing abs which she was surprised he even had. "Why are you in here?" The irritated drowsy prince asked. "Your mother is looking for you. It's almost nine…" She trailed off. She couldn't help it… she laughed and said, "Hey… you're not as scrawny as you look!" A slight blush rose to his cheeks and he threw another pillow at her which she dodged again.

"What does my mother need?" Loki asked irritated. He swung his legs out from under his covers on the other side of the bed. He was wearing knee length dark green shorts. She rolled her eyes. More green. "I don't know. She just asked me where you were and I told her you were up late reading so you were probably still asleep and then she-" She was going to tell him how she got a key to his room but he cut her off. "Fine. I'll be out in a little while. Get out!" He hissed.

"Fine Lokitty. See ya later!" She said as she walked towards the door. She heard him yell, "Don't call me Lokitty!" She grinned and turned around. She bowed to him and said "Yes your majesty!" In a mocking tone and slipped out the door. She paced back and forth for almost half an hour. He still hadn't come out. How long did it take for a prince to get ready?! She leaned against the wall by his door and waited. Finally the door opened and he came out dressed in different leather armor. She noticed he had only worn his leather and metal armor with the green cape yesterday when they had come to greet her. Now he wore a simpler outfit made of black leather with a little metal on it and no cape. It looked a lot more comfortable than what he had worn the previous day. He didn't seem to notice her leaning against the wall by his door, so she started following him. He looked back at her for a second then back at the hall ahead of him.

She finally remembered the illusion spell that would make her look like a light elf… her skin and hair that is. She turned down a different hall and headed towards her room. She went into her room and stood in front of the small mirror by her dresser. She concentrated as hard as she could and muttered the spell. When she opened her eyes, she saw her hair had turned a honey blond color. Her skin was now a deep tan. Luckily, her golden eyes remained the same. She looked at the beautiful face staring back at her. _I look like a light elf now… _she thought. She hated changing her appearance, but it was for a better cause. She left her room and started walking down the hall towards where she thought the dining hall was.

She pulled out the map in her pocket and studied it while walking. Suddenly she bumped into someone and looked up. "I'm so sorry! I didn't see you walking there!" a frantic Freya said. "I didn't see you either…" Terezah said skeptically.

"What's your name?" Freya asked her.

Terezah didn't know what shocked her more. The fact that Freya didn't recognize her, the fact that Freya wasn't being rude to her, or the fact that out of all the people in the hall she had to run into Freya. Terezah decided to play along. "My name is Vira." Vira was the name of her mother, so she decided to use it.

"You are a light elf!" Freya said ecstatically. "Why are you wearing such dark looking clothes?" She asked, eyes beaming with interest.

"I enjoy colors that contrast the rest of my people." Terezah didn't know what else to say.

"Interesting choice." Freya said with a smile. "My name is Freya, Goddess of Love and Beauty. How long are you going to be here?"

"I live here now."

"I have always wanted to meet a light elf! I have so much to ask you, but I'm sure you're busy. See you around?"

"Yeah. See ya." She said with a smile and they parted ways. Terezah continued walking towards the dining halls. The servants and maids that passed her didn't shrink in fear or try to avoid her. She grinned to herself. Finally she got to the dining hall and saw Thor and his friends sitting at a table together. Loki was sitting a little farther away. She neared the table and Fandral immediately took notice of her. He leapt up and almost ran over to her. He picked up her hand and kissed her knuckles.

"What is your name my fair Lady?" He asked looking into her eyes.

"It's me… Terezah? The dark elf…" She said blushing slightly.

He looked at her and realization turned on in his face. "Lady Terezah! You look like a light elf! Not to mention absolutely stunning!" He beamed. Loki looked at her with a shocked expression on his face. "Lady Terezah!" Thor called over to her. "I barely noticed you. Why the change?" He asked in his usual cheery voice. "Well… after I noticed people trying to avoid me in the halls, I decided I didn't want to stick out like a sore thumb." She told them the partial truth, remembering what Loki had said yesterday about not wanting to be the weakling prince. So she didn't mention mostly why she had done it was to protect Loki.

"You look more beautiful than the Lady Freya!" Vostagg beamed. Terezah grinned at the comment, remembering what had happened earlier. Loki scowled at Volstagg. She suddenly realized that nobody knew about them. The way Freya had slipped away the other day and how neither of them mentioned it must mean their relationship was supposed to keep quiet.

Terezah grinned at Loki when he looked back to her. She walked over and sat next to him. "I thought you were supposed to be guarding me. Not off playing with magic!" Loki whispered angrily.

"I can't stick out like a sore thumb in the midst of the entire kingdom of Asgard! At least I look more like an Asgardian now." She whispered back.

Loki's emerald eyes studied her. His eyes came to rest on her shoulder. She immediately covered her scar. It had been almost invisible with ash colored skin, but now that her skin was a different color it stood out. "Where did you get that?" He asked with a wicked grin on his face.

For the first time she studied the scar in her current appearance. It was a long jagged line of pink scar tissue that started at the top of her shoulder and went straight down a little past her collar bone, marring her flawless skin. Her mind flashed back to the day her father had come home drunken in rage, and pulled out a knife when she didn't serve him his meal just right. He had lashed out and cut her down the shoulder. He was about to do more when her mother had jumped in front of her and the knife lodged itself in her chest. her father quickly realized what he had done and screamed "You foolish woman!" Then he ran for the door and she had never seen him since. She had cradled her mom as blood soaked both of their clothes. "Mom!" She had screamed. Her mother's golden eyes were slowly sliding closed. She whispered, "I love you. Never be afraid…" then the life left her body. At only ten years old she was sent to an orphanage. Before she was taken away from her mother's body, she had grabbed the necklace her mother had always worn. A small silver circle with a smaller golden circle on top which had her initials engraved onto it. She hadn't taken the necklace off since. "V.A."

"Hello?" an annoyed prince asked waving a hand in front of her face. She held back tears. Even though it had happened so long ago, it had cut her deeper than her father's knife had. "I don't want to talk about it!" She hissed angrily. Finally a tear fell down her face and the confused Loki opened his mouth to say more when she interrupted. "Don't think you have permission to intrude on my life more than you already have!" She quoted Loki's exact words from the previous day.

"What do you mean intrude on your life?! You're the one who's intruding on mine!" Loki shouted. By this time Thor and his friends silently watched their feud.

"You forget that I'm the one who had to leave my life behind and come to serve a spoiled baby like yourself! I left my house, my job which I quite enjoyed, AND my mother's grave behind! Now I'll never get to see any of those things again!" She shouted angrily.

Loki was fuming angry until she said the part about her mother's grave. There was an eerie silence. Thor and his friends continued their conversation. Loki then remembered the Shadow Warrior things he found out. "And what was your job? Shadow Warrior-ing?" He asked with a mean grin. Her eyes darkened. He felt on edge as she glared at him, eyes penetrating his soul. "Not here!" she snapped and looked at Thor and his friends, laughing as if nothing had happened.

She grabbed Loki by the arm and dragged him up to his feet and out the door. She speed walked to the library where she knew they could talk without being disturbed. He tried to wrench his arm from her grip but she squeezed harder, digging her fingers into a nerve point. He flinched and stopped trying to get away. The guards let them into the Royal Library with a questioning look. The doors shut behind them and she shoved Loki and he hit the wall.

"How do you know?" She demanded. He chuckled, rubbing his arm. She pulled a black dagger from her belt and held it to his throat. "How did you find out?!" She said pressing the cold steel point farther into his neck. "Settle down!" He demanded. Loki had never imagined she would be this angry about it. He decided it was safest if he told the truth. "Get the dagger out of my face and I'll tell you!" He shouted.

"Sorry…" She said pulling away, not having realized she had actually cut into his skin a little.

"The black dagger and the black arrow you conjured had a symbol on it. I decided to research it. I'm surprised nobody else has found out your little charade yet." He sneered.

"It's because I'm always gone by the time they find the body!" She said with a grin, sending a chill down Loki's spine. "If anyone else was to find out, you can guarantee armies will be coming after me by nightfall. I have silenced many important people that were threats to the queen." She said, twirling the dagger in her hand.

"Great. I have an expert assassin babysitting me. Might as well let you kill me now!"

"I swear to you I am not here to cause any harm to you or Asgard. I am here because my queen sent me on my final mission: a mission of peace!"

"Why did you blow up back there when I asked such a simple question?" Loki asked angrily.

"A simple question to a not-so-simple story. And like I said 'back there', it's none of your business." She shot back.

"You know about me and Freya. Isn't it time I know one of your secrets?" Loki asked mischievously.

"You already do." Not wanting to continue the conversation, she turned on her heel and climbed the nearest book shelf, disappearing from his sight. Loki stood there a little dazed at how quickly she had reacted. "Drama queen." He muttered to himself, then turned to leave the library. Again, he could feel the cold stare of her golden eyes following him everywhere.

_Don't want to miss my outing with Freya…_ He thought to himself as he hurried out the library doors.


	3. Chapter 3

It had been almost three months since her fight with Loki and ever since then she had done what he had told her the first day they met: Stayed out of sight and couldn't be heard. Terezah had grown more accommodated to life in Asgard. Every day she would wake up early, eat breakfast and then wait for Loki to come out of his room. She would follow him around wherever he went and then when he went to his chambers to retire for the night, she would go to sleep on one of the many gigantic marble columns that filled the halls next to his room. She used her room only for keeping her stuff in.

The spell she had cast over his room to alarm her of any intruders had often been set off by Freya. If it was set off, the same rune that had appeared over his doorway after she cast the spell would flash brightly in her vision. If she was asleep she would jolt awake and then the rune would appear. After a couple false alarms from Freya, she didn't know when it would be an actually threat, so she moved a couple pillows and a blanket onto the top of the nearest column and that's where she slept from then on.

She had continued wearing the light elf illusion, but only when she was amongst a crowd. The spell drained her energy a little and she couldn't risk it in a fight. There hadn't been a single threat against Loki or even a sign of one. Sure, he was pummeled by Thor or one of his friends when he played a trick on them, but besides that she wasn't sure why she was even there. Still, she kept her guard up just in case. She worked out every night before retiring to her chambers, practicing her knife throwing and archery out at the empty sparing fields. She was getting about five hours of sleep which was all she required.

Loki finally came out of his room and Terezah followed him, jumping from column to column. Just like usual, he entered the dining hall for breakfast. She watched him eat breakfast while Thor bothered him about joining them in the sparring fields. "Brother! You must practice with us! Come!"

Loki sighed, "Very well. I will spar with you." he said in an irritated tone. Terezah rolled her eyes at this. He was always irritated or angry.

* * *

Loki stood up from his seat and followed Thor and his friends. _Is this all they ever do with their lives? Spar and get into trouble with father. _He rarely ever thought about Terezah. He knew she was still watching him during the day. He had gotten used to the constant feeling of those gold eyes watching him.

One night he had been on his balcony, gazing at the city below, when he saw something. The sparring grounds were right under his balcony. As he looked down, he saw one figure in the middle of one of the sparring rings. They were surrounded by targets which already had knives buried in them. They twisted and spun, throwing knife after knife at different targets. It frightened him a little to see how quickly they did so. It almost looked like the person was dancing. He had gone out on his balcony to watch this every night. Some nights the person did archery, and just like the knife throwing, they hit the targets with a deathly speed. One night the figure sat down on the bench and pulled off the hood they were wearing. He had stood there completely shocked at seeing the person was Terezah. He had seen her in action, taking down Thor, but now he realized she had been taking it easy on him.

He hadn't seen Terezah during the day, but he watched her while she was training, intrigued at the impossible speeds she would sink a dagger into a target. He remembered his findings on the Shadow Warrior. It was an ancient ritual for the acting King or Queen of the dark elves to choose a body guard that would serve them until death or age prevented them. The person was chosen through a series of rigorous tests and challenges, both physical and mental. After they were sworn in, they could not make any connections with the outside world, and cut off all relationships. He read about the training they went through after they were chosen and was slightly shocked by how cruel it was. They were also used as assassins to silence those a threat to the crown.

As they made their way to the sparring grounds, he started to regret how harshly he had treated her. It would be wise to have her on his side if she was commanded to turn on them or something like that. Thor and his friends were laughing about something and Lady Sif punched Fandral hard on the arm. Loki turned his focus to his previous thoughts again. He remembered her mention her mother's grave. He somehow thought that linked with the scar as angry tears had slipped down her face after he had asked about it. What if she was the one that killed her mother? He decided not to think about it.

Finally they were at an open sparring ring. Loki sat down next to the Warriors Three as Lady Sif and Thor started to spar. "Where has Terezah disappeared to?" He heard Fandral ask him.

"She is still around. She is most likely watching us in the shadows somewhere." He replied frankly before turning his attention back to Sif and Thor.

"Well… I haven't seen her in almost two months! She certainly is a beauty." Fandral mumbled the last part. Loki thought about it. She was beautiful, even if she was a dark elf assassin.

"Yes. But she is an assassin." Loki replied.

Fandral's eyes widened. "An assassin? I thought she was just a guard! Do you think she's here to do something to us?"

"I highly doubt it. She would have done it by now seeing as-" He was cut off by a black dagger that had lodged itself in the ground between their feet. Loki decided this was his warning to stop talking about her career. Fandral almost jumped.

Loki bent down and picked up the dagger. It was just like the one he carried around in his boot. He turned it over in his hand. This time, the dagger disappeared in his hand. Loki turned and looked behind him. Of course he saw nothing, but decided to look for anything that might give her away. He found nothing. "I wasn't going to say anything!" Loki shouted.

Another knife came out of nowhere and hit the ground in the same spot as the first one. He picked it up. On the blade of this dagger, was carved "Yes you were!" He looked it over quickly for fear of it disappearing. She must have conjured the dagger with the words written on it. The dagger faded and he was left with empty hands again. "Drama queen…" Loki mumbled.

Lady Sif and Thor finished their round, Thor having won but only by a little. "Brother! It is your turn." Thor said with a grin. Loki slowly stood up and entered the ring with Thor. He hadn't done this in a while. Thor grinned at him as they circled. Loki held the silver training sword in his hand. Thor had been banned from using Mjolnir in the training rings because of a little "incident" a couple years ago. Thor charged at Loki and their swords clashed. He may have not practiced for a while, but he still had some moves.

* * *

Terezah watched Loki and Thor spar. She was absolutely bored! She watched the two brothers dance in the ring. She rolled her eyes as Thor tripped Loki and Loki ended up face planting in the dirt. _That's the end of this duel. _She thought. Loki was on the ground with no weapon and Thor charging at him. Then she saw him reach for his boot and pull a small black dagger out. Her eyes widened as she realized that was one of her daggers. The little thief had stolen one of her daggers! She watched as he threw the dagger at Thor's leg and Thor tripped, giving Loki enough time to get a sword.

_I can't believe he stole one of MY daggers! How did he even get it?! _She couldn't be mad at the resourcefulness. She knew Thor was going to win, but Loki had been quick to act. _Maybe I'll teach him how to throw a dagger properly if we ever get on speaking terms. _She pushed the thought from her head as she remembered how he had told her to disappear the first day she arrived.

The match ended with Loki again on the ground at Thor's sword point. She watched Loki retrieve the small black dagger and put it back in his boot. _If he wanted one he could have just asked. _She thought to herself, annoyed still that he had one of her daggers. She had to talk to him about that, even if it was just for a few seconds. Loki went back to the benches and sat next to Fandral.

About two hours later Loki stood up to leave. _Finally! _Terezah thought. She followed Loki back to the stables. He told the stable boy to fetch him a horse. He stood there waiting. This was her chance. She entered the stable and snuck up right behind Loki.

"Using one of my daggers, huh?" She asked and grinned as Loki jumped.

"So, the assassin finally comes out of hiding." He said with a stern look.

"Yes and you didn't answer my question."

"Yes. It was the one you left in the library your first day here," He studied her reaction to this. "You can have it back if it's that important to you." He said irritated. He bent down and pulled it out of his boot and handed it to her.

"Nah, I just came to alter it." She said as she ran her hand over the Shadow Warrior rune. It disappeared and Loki's name reappeared. She gave it back to Loki who looked at her work.

"Hmm… So this means I can keep it?" He asked with a grin.

"Do you not want it?" She asked raising an eyebrow.

He quickly slid it into his boot. "Nope. You're not getting it back."

"Fine. At least learn how to throw a dagger properly. They aren't meant to be used for tripping people." She retorted.

The stable boy returned with a saddled black stallion. His eyes darted to the "light elf" standing by Loki. His eyes widened and he seemed to gawk. Terezah looked at him, and realized she was in her illusion. She had mixed feelings about her illusion spell. While it only made her skin and hair look a different color, the attention she received from those changes irritated her. People shunned her and cowered away from her if she went without the spell. She stopped the flow of magic towards the illusion spell and her skin and hair turned their natural colors. The stable boy's eyes widened and he gave her an angry look.

Loki noticed this and turned to see she had stopped her illusion spell to stop the stable boy from gawking at her beauty. Loki chuckled and looked back at her. She grinned at the stable boy who quickly turned away from her. "My Lord, your stallion is ready." He said with a small respectful bow.

"Where are you going Loki?" Terezah asked the tall prince.

"On a ride to the farthest market I can get to in Asgard. Care to ride a horse instead of trying to run after me?" he asked with a wicked grin.

Terezah thought over this. She had seen many guards riding horses and had tried it herself. With the illusion spell she had only needed to bat her eyes at a guard and he helped her ride the horse. She nodded.

"Bring the elf a horse." Loki said to the stable boy as he took the reins to his stallion. The stable boy glanced nervously at Terezah and said, "Yes my Lord." And disappeared further into the stables. She muttered the spell for the illusion, and her hair turned honey blond and her skin turned a deep tan.

"You know, that look suits you." Loki said playfully.

"Yes, well I find it annoying how stupid some men can be around a pretty woman." She said crinkling her nose.

Loki chuckled. "I can imagine. Especially your secret admirer." He said sarcastically.

"Who? Fandral? Not so secret."

The stable boy returned with a saddled brown horse. As he walked towards Terezah, he started shaking. Terezah took the reins from the boy who quickly bowed to the prince and disappeared around a corner. "He seemed to admire you earlier." Loki teased.

"Well, not everyone likes a dark elf." She said mounting her horse. Loki mounted his and they started riding. Loki led the way and Terezah followed behind, slowly getting used to the saddle again. They rode for almost an hour when he finally slowed to a stop. They were in front of a stable. The owner and a servant came out and Loki and Terezah dismounted. Loki handed the owner a couple silver coins and the owner instructed the servant girl to take the horses inside the stable.

"We'll be back for them later today." Loki told the lady. She bowed and went back into the stables. It was now high noon, with the sun overhead. Loki started walking towards a busy street, Terezah assumed it was a market place. She walked slightly behind Loki. Loki shimmered and suddenly she was following a red headed man. He turned towards her and smirked. "What are you doing?" She asked Loki confused.

"People treat me different because I'm a prince," He said in a slightly deeper voice. "Sometimes I like to see how people would treat me if I wasn't the prince." Terezah thought about this and decided it was just like her making herself look like a light elf. She wanted to fit in so people wouldn't treat her different. "Makes sense. What are we here to get?"

"A couple books. There's a store that sells rather expensive treasures. I like to see what they have now and then." He wove his way through the crowds and finally stopped in front of a shop called "Redda's Antiques". Loki opened the door and a small bell dinged. The store was small, with only two people inside it. The place smelled old and dusty. Trinkets, jewelry, ancient books, weapons, and other little knick-knacks lined the shelves and tables. An old man shuffled over to them. "Hello Loki. Come to see what I have for you today?" He asked in a low cracked voice. Loki's disguise shimmered and he was once again the raven haired prince. "Surprise me." Loki said in an enthusiastic tone.

Terezah broke apart from the two as the old man showed him books. She past the shelves and tables and looked at the many different things. In the corner of the room was a barrel that had spears and staffs in it. She looked through them, when one caught her eye. It was completely straight and a little taller than her, obsidian black, and had small runes etched into the top part of it. The runes were dark elven. She read them aloud.

"_Hanil Khar…" _She whispered. The runes on the staff glowed blue and then faded.

"You can read Druhir?" A voice came from behind her. She quickly turnedand saw the old man watching her with wonder.

"Uh… yeah…" She stuttered. She had spoken the words perfectly, it being her first language.

"How interesting. What do those runes mean?" The old man asked curiously.

"It means 'Bearer of Chains'." she said.

"The old man picked up the staff and handed it to her. The staff seemed to buzz with energy as it came into her hands. She had heard about these types of staffs. Not many had been made but they were supposed to be able to shape shift. She wished it to be smaller, and it shrank to the size of a toothpick in her hand. The old man looked astounded.

"I have never seen that happen before! I've had that thing in here for a long time. Nobody ever seemed interested in it. Tell you what… I'll sell that to you for half the price it is right now."

She grinned. "Will you be willing to trade?" She asked.

The man looked at her and narrowed his eyes. "Depends on what you want to trade it for."

Terezah concentrated as hard as she could and a grey staff the same size with different runes and a sharp top appeared in her hand. She tried to make it look original as she could. The owner's eyes widened and seemed to sparkle with interest. He took the staff from her and studied it. "Nice doing business with you! The staff is yours." He said with a huge grin. He added the staff she had made to the barrel and turned to Loki who was still looking through books. She slipped the staff into a pouch on her belt and stood by Loki.

"That staff is interesting." He said without looking up from his book. "What book are you reading?" She asked.

"A spell book…" He muttered. The old man came over to Loki. Loki handed him some gold coins and took a couple books. "Great choice of books!" The old man chided. Loki gave him a small nod and started for the door. "I didn't know you were good at bartering." Loki commented.

"Back on Svartalfheim, my weapons would be worth nothing, but here they are a rarity." She said grinning. Loki turned into the red headed man as they entered the busy market street again. They had been in that shop for almost an hour. They started walking back the way they had come. They passed a clothing store and Terezah glanced over at a simple Asgardian dress in the window. Loki entered the same shop. She stood there puzzled. "You need to get something that doesn't make you look like a killer." Loki said.

Terezah glared at him and folded her arms. "What's wrong with what I'm wearing?!" She asked defensively. She was dressed in a skin-tight black outfit with black boots, gloves that exposed her fingers, a black cloak that fell to the floor covering her shoulders, and black weapons strapped to her arms and legs.

"You look creepy. I'll even pay for them. If you want to look like an Asgardian, you should at least dress like one…"

After quite a while of bickering the shop owner approached them. "May I help you?" She asked politely. Loki turned to her and said, "Yes. My friend here is looking for new clothes." The lady looked at the elf standing in front of her. "It would be a pleasure." She beamed. She took Terezah's hand and pulled her over to some dresses on a rack. Loki smirked at Terezah glaring at him. She said something in dark elven that he supposed wasn't very nice.

Loki had to admit she looked breathtaking in the dresses she tried on. After she chose a few that looked best on her, Loki paid for them and Terezah quickly bolted for the door. Once they were back on the street, she punched Loki in the arm. "I hate dresses!" She said. "I haven't worn one since I was little!"

Loki laughed at this. They returned to the stables where their horses were. Terezah put the dresses in a clean saddle bag and mounted. Loki mounted his horse and they headed back to the palace. It was fairly late into the afternoon when they finally got back to the palace. The left their horses in the stables and started up the stairs into the palace. The guards in front of the palace doors immediately opened them for Loki. They entered the palace which immediately cooled them down from the sun's heat. They were in front of his chambers now.

"Lokitty!" They both turned to see Freya walking quickly towards Loki. As soon as she heard Freya, Terezah dropped the illusion spell and looked like a dark elf again. "Ugh! What is that rat doing?! I thought she disappeared!" Freya said irritated. Terezah glared at her. They had become best friends as her in her 'light elf' form.

"She did. She decided to come out of the shadows." Loki said.

Freya looked as if she was about to cry. "But Lokitty! You said she wouldn't come back!" She whined. Loki sighed and turned to Terezah. Terezah rolled her eyes and started walking towards her room. She opened her room door and slipped in, closing it behind her. She put her dresses in her dresser and sat on her bed. She took the staff out of her pouch and made it grow to its original size. She studied it. It was smooth and tall and the runes faded as it finished growing. The she could see her reflection in the black polished surface. She stood up and walked to the middle of her room. She twirled it around in her hands. It was well balanced and easy to hold. It hummed with life as she swung it though the air. She shrank it back to tooth-pick size and put it in her pouch.

_Time to shrink into the shadows and babysit Loki some more. _She thought as she left her room and headed back to where she last saw Loki.


	4. Chapter 4

Loki watched Terezah walk away and then turned back to Freya. The halls were always empty near his room. Freya glared at him. "Having a fun time, Loki?" She asked irritated. "You do remember she _is _a dark elf, right?! You shouldn't be wasting your time with her!" She shouted.

"And you control my life now? You forget, my dear, that I am a prince." He said annoyed.

She stuttered and looked down at his feet. Tears slipped from her eyes and fell to the ground. Loki rolled his eyes. "What is wrong?"

"I knew you would turn your attentions towards her…" She said in a quiet whisper.

"No… She is just a guard!" Loki reasoned. Freya got jealous whenever he spent time with any female besides herself.

"Is she?!" Freya shouted.

"Yes!" In honesty Loki had only begun to see her as a friend.

She gave him a fake smile and started to walk away. _She should be called the Goddess of Jealousy… _"Wait." He commanded. He pulled Freya towards him and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled herself closer. He let go of her before it became more than a simple kiss. "Don't be jealous of someone I don't love." He said and plastered a smile on his face.

"I've got to go… my father needs me." She said. "Tomorrow at our usual place?" She asked with an innocent look on her face. "Yes." Loki said as she slipped down the hall.

He had been with Freya secretly for almost three years now. She did indeed live up to her name as the Goddess of Love and Beauty. She was absolutely stunning. Her golden hair flowed down her back and her beautiful blue eyes sparkled like diamonds. She had almost every man after her, yet he hadn't been won over by her good looks and charm. Well… partly her looks, but she was witty and funny. She agreed with everything he said most of the time and almost worshipped him.

Their usual spot was on a hill in the outskirts in the city. There was a tall willow tree on the hill that swayed in the wind. The green hills around it were filled with the scent of the strawberry bushes scattered over them. Freya had picked it as their spot when they started courting in secret. He had to admit, it was a beautiful place, especially at sunset.

"I see your girlfriend is gone." He heard a voice right behind him say. This time he didn't jump. He was getting used to it.

"Yes. She had to attend to her father." He said while turning to face her.

"So you're still not going to tell me about the two of you?"

"Nope." Loki replied sternly. He didn't feel like sharing. She just shrugged. The sun was now setting, casting a final golden glow as it sank below the horizon. The golden light filled the halls of the palace, illuminating the shiny halls. He turned from the open windows back to Terezah. The light was illuminating her golden eyes, making them shine like jewels. She looked really bored.

He started walking down the hall towards his mother's chambers where she would most likely be. He wanted to see her. He hadn't talked to her for a few days. Terezah followed silently behind him as he made his way through the palace. Finally, he came to a pair of huge golden doors with intricate carvings of flowers and various designs. The guards on either sides of the doors opened them immediately. Loki and Terezah entered the room. The sweet smell of flowers drifted over the both of them as they walked farther into the room. Frigga was sitting on a huge floor pillow. She was surrounded by handmaidens that she was joyfully talking to. When she saw Loki she said, "My son!" with a growing warm smile. Loki gave his mother a rare genuine smile. Frigga stood up and walked over to Loki and embraced him.

* * *

Terezah watched the mother and son embrace and start talking to each other. Her mind drifted to her own mother. Her mother had been beautiful and loving just like Frigga. Her real father had died when she was too little to remember. Before her mother had remarried, they were happy. She remembered sitting on the back porch as the sun went down. They had made sweet juices all day from their fruit trees out back. They sat there drinking the sticky juice, laughing, talking. Those were the moments she cherished. Then her mother met a man that had put on an act. Once they had married, his true character came out. He was a drunkard with a quick temper and he beat the both of them when he felt like it. She remembered the first time he had hit her mother. It was a shock to both of them, but then the abuse became more constant until finally both her and her mother lived in fear. Her step-father didn't allow them out of the house and sometimes forced them to skip meals. She watched as her mother withered away. Her happiness draining until she became an empty void of despair and hopelessness. Her mother became sick and pale and wasn't able to move fast because of her growing weakness. But she remembered the happy moments they had shared, when her mother's golden eyes were filled with life and happiness. She touched her shoulder where her scar was hidden under the black cloak she wore.

Terezah smiled to herself as she remembered those happy days. She snapped out of her daze when Frigga spoke to her. "My dear, how are you?"

"I am well my queen." She said with a polite nod.

"Will you have tea with me tomorrow?" The queen asked.

She had never had 'tea', but she couldn't say no to the Queen of Asgard. "I would be honored to."

"Wonderful!" Frigga said enthusiastically. "I hope you are not missing your home too much?" The queen asked.

"Not excessively." She replied. The only thing she missed was her mother's grave.

"I am glad you are here." The queen said with a warm smile.

Loki and Frigga continued to talk for almost two hours. Terezah was beginning to fight the hunger that ebbed at her stomach. Finally, Loki said his goodbyes to Frigga and left the room, Terezah trailing behind him. He was headed for the dining hall. She was overjoyed when he entered the room and went to get food, only this time she joined him. He sat down on the empty table where Thor and his friends usually sat. They must have already gone or not gotten here yet. She sat across from Loki but he didn't look at her. He was concentrating on a book she hadn't noticed him carry with him. It must have been one of the books he had gotten at the marketplace earlier that day. He turned the page. It was silent as the two ate. She finished off her bread and let one of the serving girls took her plate.

She was getting bored just sitting there, so she took a dagger out of a sheath that was strapped to her arm. She studied the dagger closely, looking for any imperfections. She pulled out a sharpening stone from a pouch on her belt and started grinding it on the surface of the blade. She looked at Loki who didn't seem to even notice the noise. She continued sharpening the dagger. She borrowed a napkin and rubbed off the marks from the sharpening stone. She threw her dagger at a wooden plank leaning against the wall in the corner of the room. She again looked at Loki who was still reading, unaffected by the sounds.

She conjured dagger after dagger and threw them at the wooden plank. Finally the plank grew heavy enough it fell over. She walked over to the plank and made all the daggers she had conjured disappear. She pulled the dagger she had sharpened earlier from the plank and put it back in the sheath strapped to her arm and sat back down across from Loki. She sighed and pulled out a different dagger from a sheath on her other arm and started sharpening it. It had been almost two hours when Loki finally closed his book and stood up. She had almost fallen asleep on the table, her arm under her head for comfort. She shook herself awake and stood up. Loki took his book and started walking back to the direction of his chambers.

Loki went into his room and shut the door in her face. She decided to sleep in her bed tonight. She climbed up the column and grabbed her pillows. She threw the pillows off the column and slid down. She picked up the pillows and walked to her room which was just around the bend of the next hall down. She entered her room and locked the door behind her, throwing her pillows on her bed. She changed into her sleeping clothes and plopped down on her bed and drew the covers over her small body. She reached under her pillow and felt the cold handle of the new dagger there and fell asleep.

* * *

_She was running. She tripped and her small ten year old body crashed to the floor, completely out of breath. Her step-father loomed over her. He laughed and pulled out a knife. He lashed at her, cutting her shoulder open. She tried to scream but couldn't. She couldn't move, she couldn't breathe, and all she could do was sit there in terror as the knife dove towards her again. Then a body jumped in front of her and the end of the knife poked out of the person's back. Her mother slid off the knife and onto the floor. Her step-father got angrier than she had ever seen him. "You foolish woman!" He screamed at her and, dropping the blood covered knife, ran out the front door. She moved slowly towards the woman lying on the floor, a puddle growing under her. "Mom?" She asked shyly. "Mom!?", "Mom!" She started to panic. She cradled her mother's head as her life slipped away. Hot tears ran down her cheeks and splashed onto her mother's shirt. "I love you… Never be afraid…" She heard her mother whisper as she clutched her child's hand. Then she went limp. "No!" She screamed. "Mom! Come back!" She sobbed. Angry and desperate tears blinded her as she cried and cried. "I need you…" She whispered in a broken voice. "I need you…" _

Terezah woke up screaming. Cold sweat running down her face. She breathed rapidly, trying to calm herself. Tears ran down her face. She hadn't had a nightmare since coming to Asgard. She threw the knife under her pillow at the nearest object to her. She screamed in rage. She hadn't been able to stop the death of her mother. She had never found her step-father either. She laid back down and let the tears drip off her face and stain her pillow. She curled into a ball and sobbed until morning, when she finally fell asleep.

* * *

Loki went into his chambers and closed the door. He had been reading about an invisibility spell for almost the entire evening. He went into his bathroom and set his book on the floor. He stood in front of the mirror and muttered the spell. He saw his image in the mirror flicker and disappear, only to reappear a second later. He tried again and again. Finally, exhausted from using so much energy, he decided that was enough practice for now. He picked up the book by his feet and entered his bedroom. He sat on a chair by the fireplace and started reading again. Hours slipped by and finally his eyes started to become heavy and he fell asleep in his chair.

He woke up to light filling the room. It was a little later in the morning than he was used to getting up at. He stood up from the chair and went into his bathroom. He washed and got dressed. He opened his door and stepped out into the hall. Something felt different. He started walking towards the dining halls and when he got there he saw his brother and Volstagg eating their breakfast. "Brother! How are you this morning? And how is Lady Terezah?"

"I am well. I do not know about Terezah…" He trailed off, realizing that was what had been different. Usually he felt her golden eyes on him the second he stepped into the hall, but today she hadn't been there. He sat down and ate. Maybe she was just off doing something real quick. After he was done eating, he walked to the library and sat in his spot. "Terezah?" He asked. Silence followed and he expected her to sneak up behind him any second now. Minutes passed and still nothing. He stood up and left the library.

He walked to Terezah's room and was about to knock before he decided to listen instead. He put his ear to the door and heard absolutely nothing. He muttered a spell and the door clicked. He opened the door and peered into the dark room. Terezah was still asleep, curled into a ball under her covers. Loki smirked. He would scare her just as she had scared him that one morning. He crept into the room and neared her bed. As he got closer, he noticed the dagger lodged into the trunk by her bed. Taking a closer look at her, her hair was an absolute mess and she didn't look peaceful at all. She looked sad. Her pillow and face were damp. He reached down and shook her. She flinched and her eyes shot open at his touch. Her eyes were blood-shot and dark circles were under her eyes. It looked like she had been crying for hours.

She looked at him with pure terror in her eyes, but it quickly faded. "What are you doing in here?" She asked sitting up. The blankets fell off her shoulders. She was wearing a black tank-top, and she quickly covered the shoulder with her scar.

"It is late morning. I thought you always got up before me."

"Sorry… I… didn't get much sleep…" The woman stammered. She pulled the blankets off her legs with her free hand and swung her legs out of bed and stood up. She wore loose black pants. She pulled the dagger out of her trunk and placed it under her pillow.

"Are… you alright?" Loki asked awkwardly.

"Yes! I'm fine…" She responded quickly. "Now get out so I can get dressed!" She said pushing him towards the door. She shoved him out the door and slammed it in his face. Loki stood there confused at what had just happened. She had clearly been crying, but he couldn't imagine her ever crying. She acted so tough and dangerous all the time. She came out a few minutes later dressed in her usual black get-up with daggers strapped to her arms and legs. He could see her more clearly now, the dark circles under her eyes very noticeable. The redness had disappeared which made him wonder if she had used magic to get rid of it so fast. She closed the door to her room and flipped her hood up, casting a shadow over her face so he couldn't see the dark circles under her eyes. The hooded figure standing in front of him looked fairly creepy. Her golden eyes glowed from under her hood as she watched him.

"Alright then…" Loki said and started walking back to the library, deciding not to press her for more information.

* * *

Almost a month had passed now and each morning he had to go and get her and would find her in the same state. The dark circles under her eyes grew and she started turning pale. He had asked her if she was sick and she had simply told him she was fine. Tonight as he shut the door to his room, he decided he would watch her and see what happened that night. He had been practicing the invisibility spell and had almost mastered it. He wanted to see what was making her so… sick. After an hour, when he was sure she would be asleep, he left his room and crept down the hall. He used a spell to get into her room and shut the door behind him.

Terezah was lying in bed asleep. He sat in the corner of her room and waited invisible. An hour passed and still nothing. Then she started tossing and turning. Tears leaked from her eyes and she started screaming something in her elven tongue. She bolted up, sweat running down her face. She panted, drawing in as much air as she could. She started sobbing, muttering stuff in her native language. She finally laid back down and stopped sobbing after another hour. He slipped out of her room before she woke up again. He had seen enough. Nightmares.

He kept the word she had screamed in his mind and went back to his room and shut the door. He walked over to his desk and opened the drawer where a black arrow and some books lay. He took out the book on dark elven language and culture and sat on his bed. He opened the book and started to search through it. Almost two hours later he found the word he had been looking for and read the description. _Atara_ meant Mother. Why had she been screaming 'mother'? He remembered their fight months ago when she had mentioned her mother's grave. He had to figure this out. She had nightmares about her mother and her mother was dead, and a weird scar on her shoulder she hid whenever it was exposed, yet she wouldn't tell him anything!

He closed the book in frustration. He had to get some sleep. It was already passed midnight, when he heard a knock on his door. His heart pounded as he realized it might be an angry Terezah who had found out he had been in her room. He opened the door and saw Freya. she entered his room without saying anything or giving him an explanation why she was there.

"Can I help you?" Loki asked irritated.

She pushed the door closed and locked it. He moved towards his desk to try and hide the book on dark elves, not wanting to make her angry. She slowly advanced towards him and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling herself closer. He really didn't want this tonight. Then he felt something cold against his throat. Freya's image flickered into that of a dark elf. Loki was shocked. He looked down and saw a silver dagger pressed against his skin.

"Now prince, you die." The dark elf woman said smiling. Then he saw three other dark elves jump into his room from his balcony. They advanced towards him. _Where was Terezah when he needed her?!_


	5. Chapter 5

**I hope you guys are liking the story so far. This chapter was sort of a quick write, so I hope it's okay. Thanks to those of you who have read this far! Please leave a comment and tell me what you think about it, or if you have any suggestions for the story (I don't want to drag the story on and have it be boring!) I will consider all suggestions and opinions! Thanks :D**

* * *

"What happened to Freya?" Loki asked in a guarded tone.

"That's her name? Don't worry," The dark elf said with a cold chuckle. "She's fine! I'm sure she'll wake up tomorrow."

"And… what are you going to do with me?" Loki asked trying to stall.

"I wanted to kill you, but my employer wants you alive… for now." She smiled innocently at him and pressed the dagger farther into his throat. "Though, they didn't say you had to be unharmed." She grinned. One of the dark elves that had come in through the balcony said something in their elven tongue. "Fine… I won't have too much fun." She said pulling away from him. Two of the dark elves that had come through his balcony jumped back off, which left two in his room.

"Just to make sure you don't squeal for help…" She hit Loki on the back of the head with the hilt of her dagger. His head pounded and he felt his knees give out. Blackness started to fill his vision.

* * *

Terezah was woken up by frantic pounding on her door. She slowly crawled out of bed and used her magic to dress instantly. She walked over to the door and opened it, a frantic Freya falling into her room. "You've got to help!" She screamed.

"What's going on?" Terezah asked in a bored tone.

"I was trying to sleep when a dark elf attacked me!"

"Uh huh… well, somebody is delusional. I have been in my room-" Freya cut her off.

"No! Not you! Someone who dressed like you, but they wore a mask! They were headed for Loki's room!" She screeched.

"Calm down! If this is a prank it's not very funny." Terezah said irritably. "Describe what they looked like."

"She wore a black mask and black armor just like yourself but she was a little taller and a lot faster. She had this long pony tail of gray hair…" Terezah's heart sank as she listened to the description. She quickly grabbed one of her longer daggers and bolted out the door as fast as she could, running down the halls. Her heart pounded and she felt lightheaded. If the person she was thinking about was in Loki's room, she would be too late. She stopped in front of Loki's door and quickly pulled out the key Frigga had given her. She opened the door and stepped into the completely empty room. Loki was nowhere to be seen.

She hurried over to the balcony and looked down, searching. Anything! She chanted a spell and blue footprints appeared. They went down the side of the palace. Without thinking, Terezah jumped off the balcony and slid down the building at a dangerous speed. She dug her dagger into the wall to slow her down enough to jump on the ground. She leapt from the side of the building and hit the ground, stumbling back onto her feet, sprinting at full speed. She followed the glowing footprints and all the sudden they stopped.

"No!" She screamed. How had the protection spell not warned her?! She screamed in rage. She sank to the ground, clutching her head, breathing heavily. Then she remembered the training her instructor had given her a long time ago. She calmed her thoughts and closed her eyes. She listened for anything. A bird sang, a branch snapped, a stream ran nearby, a faint cry of an infant could be heard. Then she heard the sound of metal. A faint ping. Her eyes shot open and her head snapped towards where the sound had come from. She leapt to her feet and took off. She pulled out her dagger, one in each hand. She was running through a forest now. Listening, watching as she silently sprinted in the direction the sound had come from.

She came into a clearing. Four dark elves were in front of her with an unconscious Loki. She came to a stop. "Who are you?" She asked in a dry voice.

The only female in the group turned around, slowly. "My dear. You've forgotten me already?" She asked in a disappointed voice. Terezah's heart stopped pounding.

* * *

"_Faster! Faster!" The joyful screams of children echoed. Eleven year old Terezah sat in her room by her window. The golden light of afternoon shone upon the many children playing out in the field by the orphanage. The green trees swayed in the warm summer breeze. It had been one year since her mother had been murdered. She heard a door open behind her and light footsteps near her. "You know, you're never going to make friends if you stay inside all day." Terezah turned around from her spot on the old wooden window seat and looked at the small girl in front of her. Ash gray skin, sky blue eyes, and a long ponytail of light gray hair fell down her back. The girl looked roughly the same age as her. "Yeah… I don't need friends." Terezah had said in the snobbiest voice she could. "Everyone needs a friend." The small girl said with pleading eyes. After a pause, Terezah asked, "What's your name?" The girl beamed and said, "My name is Vallerie!" _

_Months had turned into years and years had turned into decades. The orphans around them came and went. But they always stayed together. When they both decided to train to become warriors, the competition for the new Shadow Warrior came around. They both tried their hardest. They worked night and day, training. Finally it came down to the two of them. They had to duel. "We'll always be sisters." Vallerie said with a small smile as they stepped into the fighting ring. Then it began. They fought for over two hours, both fast and deadly. Until finally, Vallerie pulled out her poisoned knife, surprising her foe and slid it into Terezah's stomach. "But why?" Terezah asked as the poison spread though her veins. "There can only be one Shadow Warrior. It ends now!" Vallerie said with a twisted grin. Terezah pulled sank to her feet, feeling her head start to throb. Anger overtook her. She stood back up and slowly limped to the 'victorious Vallerie' who had been turned away from her. Terezah drew her dagger and shoved it as hard as she could into her back. Terezah won. _

* * *

"You disgraced me after all." Vallerie said with fake sadness. "Now, you deserve the same fate!" Vallerie and the other three assassins dropped Loki and charged towards her. The fight began.

Loki felt himself hit the ground and his eyes fluttered open. He couldn't move. All he could do was watch as the blurred forms of the assassins clash with that of… Terezah? It almost looked like a dance. Terezah twisted away from the end of a blade and dodged another. Loki watched as they dodged each other's moves, trying to fit an extra move in to finish the other. Terezah sunk a dagger into one of the larger assassin's heart and he fell to the ground.

Loki started to get feeling back in his toes and fingers. He could finally feel the coldness of the wet ground seep into his skin. The fight before him was all a blur. The sounds of metal meeting and scraping against metal filled his ears. Terezah took another assassin down. Loki could finally feel his legs and arms. He tried pushing himself up but fell back to the ground. Finally it was down to Terezah and the lady who had disguised herself as Freya. He watched the two of them move at deadly speeds. Blocking, hitting, dancing. They came to a standstill and circled one another. "Why?! It doesn't have to be this way!" Terezah shouted.

"Yes! It does!" The other shot back.

"Why did you do it? We were so close!" Terezah pleaded. "Don't make me do this!"

"I was always better than you! I was supposed to be the Shadow Warrior! I was going to be a hero! I will be seen in all my glory after I rip your heart out!" The lady screamed.

"NO! There is no glory in this!" Terezah shouted, tears streaming down her face. Loki watched as the lady dove towards Terezah in a drunken manner. Terezah sent a dagger into her heart. The lady screamed and fell to the ground.

"I'm sorry!" Terezah said. She caught the Lady who fell to the ground and held her in her arms. Loki was completely confused. He finally pushed himself off the ground, finally finding the strength to stand up. He walked to Terezah who laid the body of the dying assassin gently on the ground. "Why?!" Terezah asked the lady. "Why did you do it?!" Terezah screamed.

"Revenge…" The assassin's coughed, then her weak frame went limp and her last breath escaped her. "NO!" Terezah screamed. "Don't leave me! I need you…" Terezah's voice trailed off. Tears ran down her cheeks and fell onto the shirt of the dead assassin. "I need you…"

Then Terezah bolted to her feet and threw a dagger at something right behind him. She jumped in front of him and suddenly a long black arrow sank into her stomach. She gasped and fell to her knees. Loki rushed towards her and caught her before her fell to the ground. A couple yards away, an archer collapsed to the ground, dead. Terezah started gasping for breath.

Loki was so confused at what had just happened. He scooped her up and carried her at the fastest rate he could back to the palace. He dashed up the steps of the palace the guards shouted, "Who goes there?!" Loki didn't stop.

"Open the doors! It's I, Prince Loki! I need help!" he shouted. The guards recognized him and immediately opened the doors. One of the guards helped him carry Terezah to the healing rooms. Terezah started convulsing. She cried and screamed in pain. They set her on a healing table and the head healer came into the room.

The healer told Loki to get out and he exited the room, waiting just outside. He heard screams of pain and a loud snapping sound. An assistant healer tended to the cut on his neck and the bruises on his arms. Finally, the screaming stopped. The sky turned purple and the sun started to raise. The head healer came out to Loki who was now joined by Freya and Thor, who had been woken up in all the commotion. "We managed to pull the arrow out and get her all bandaged up, but I'm afraid she won't wake up. There was some sort of poison on the tip of the arrow that we can't identify. She is in a comatose right now." The healer said then retreated to a back room.

Loki pushed the curtains aside and there he saw Terezah, laying on the nurse bed, her torso bandaged along with her wrists. Her chest rose and fell slowly. Her golden eyes remained closed and she didn't stir at all. A white blanket laid on top of the dark elf, and for the first time since knowing her, she looked absolutely peaceful.

* * *

Terezah circled around Vallerie. There was a maddening look in her eyes. She hadn't seen her since the duel, and had assumed she had died. Her friend rushed towards her, sloppy with rage. Terezah twisted to the right and sunk her dagger into her chest. Vallerie's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. She started to fall, but Terezah quickly caught her. She stared into Vallerie's blue eyes. "Why?!" Terezah asked desperately trying to control her emotions. "Why did you do it?!" She said louder. Her heart seemed to strain and she choked on the tears flowing down her cheeks. It was her mother's death all over again.

"Revenge…" Vallerie whispered, anger seared into the word. Then she choked. Her head fell back into Terezah's arms. "NO!" Terezah screamed. Anger, sadness, and confusion filled the air. Hot tears seeped from her eyes. "Don't leave me!" She shouted desperately. "I need you…" She sobbed. "I need you…" She gently laid Vallerie's lifeless body on the ground. Then out of the corner of her eye, she saw an arrow. The only thing she could think to do was throw a dagger at the archer hiding in the bushes. It hit the person in the neck, pinning them to the tree, but not before they released the arrow. She ran in front of Loki and braced for the impact. Time slowed as the arrow penetrated her light armor and slid through her stomach. She felt the pain erupt through her entire body, shocking her nerves. She couldn't catch herself as she sank to her knees.

Her mind went frantic, black blotches filled her vision and she felt pain shooting into her head. She felt some catch her and she looked up to try and see who was carrying her. She could barely see the raven haired prince through her dimming vision. She blanked out and then woke again. She felt herself on a cold, hard surface. People were rushing around her. She felt something rip out of her stomach. She screamed, the pain raging everywhere through her body.

She heard slurred voices as she blinked rapidly, trying to clear her vision. "I've never worked on a dark elf before!" She heard a female voice say. "She's waking up! Is there anything we can give her to reduce the pain?"

Another voice entered the conversation. "We have nothing that will work on a dark elf. We don't know what will poison her and what won't!"

She started coughing, and each cough sent a shooting pain through her chest. "She has several cracked ribs. We'll have to heal them while she's conscious." She heard another voice say. She felt hands on her torso and her bones start to move. Terezah screamed as the pain became overbearing. Tears filled her eyes.

"What was on the arrow? It looks like some sort of poison."

"Her heart had stopped!" A lady said urgently.

Terezah gasped for breath. Numbness started spreading quickly through her body. "We're losing her!" a different lady shouted. Then, everything went black.

* * *

"_Shhhh!" the voice beside her whispered. "We can't be caught!" Vallerie said. Terezah tried not to laugh as they hid in the corner of the room. The door opened and an angry maid stormed into the room. "WHERE ARE THOSE LITTLE RATS?!" The maid screamed. Terezah and Vallerie slid deeper into the shadows. They were about fourteen at the time. Terezah felt her heart pound as the realization of what they had actually done donned on her. The angry maid stormed closer to where they were. Vallerie held back a giggle. The maid heard this and yanked them both out by the hair. She forced them to look her straight in the eyes. Vallerie and Terezah both burst out laughing. The maid was covered in green, blue, red, black, and yellow paint. All over her body. She had a green paste spread on her face and her hair was rolled into curlers. They had put paint cans above her door, so when she went into her bathroom "CRASH!" Then the maid had chased the laughing pair through the orphanage. They spent almost two weeks scrubbing the entire orphanage with toothbrushes. "What do you have to say for yourselves?!" The angry maid asked. Vallerie replied first, "You are a stingy old maid and you need to lighten up! It was just a little bit of fun!" They had gone without eating the entire day after that as well. _

Terezah was in a golden field. She laid on the ground staring at the blue sky above her. A gentle breeze flowed through the field, caring the scent of her mother's famous sticky juice. She heard laughter flow into the breeze. Terezah stood up and looked at a ghost looking version of herself as a nine year old. Her mother was running away from the little girl when finally she fell to the ground and the little girl pounced on her laughing. They wrestled for a little bit, when her step-father barged out of the house and dragged her mother to her feet. "Get back in the house!" he screamed in her mother's face. He shoved her mother to the ground and the little girl started crying. Her mother and step-father disappeared. The vision of the little girl remained, curled up in a ball in the golden field sobbing. Terezah stood up and walked over to the girl. She placed a hand on the girl's back and said, "Don't give up Terezah. Even when nobody is there for you, mother will always be there. Even when you have nothing you will always have mom." The little girl didn't noticed her presence and faded away.

Then smoke rose around her. Terezah saw the flames rise higher and higher, engulfing her. She heard the laugh of her step-father echo round her, ringing in her ears. A shadow swallowed her and she started sinking into the ground of the ash filled ground.

* * *

Loki walked back to his chambers. He couldn't believe what had just happened. He had been abducted, Terezah had fought them all off, gotten shot with an arrow, and now wouldn't wake up. He shook his head. Sudden exhaustion overcame him. He finally reached his open chamber doors. He stared at the golden key in the key hole to his room. He pulled it out and walked slowly into his room, dragging his feet. He shut the door behind him and flopped onto his bed. His eyes fell and he drifted off to sleep.

When he woke up, Loki looked at the sky through his balcony. It was dark and stars were out. He slowly sat up in bed and stood up. He looked at himself in the mirror. His hair was a mess and his armor was stained with Terezah's blood. He rubbed his eyes. He bathed and changed into clean armor and headed out the door. Thor immediately jumped up from where he was sitting and embraced Loki. "Brother! I am so glad you were not harmed too severely! You have been asleep all day." Thor let go of Loki. "You look starving! Come and eat." Thor pulled him to the dining halls where Sif and the Warriors Three were. Loki sat next to Thor. Thor started asking him questions about the fight and what had happened. Loki told them a brief description, leaving out the part about Terezah crying over the assassin's death.

"She saved you?" Thor asked.

"That's what I said." Loki responded, slightly irritated. Then he realized that she had indeed saved his life. He wouldn't be sitting next to Thor if she hadn't been there. Loki silently stood up and walked towards the healing rooms. She had saved him. When he neared her bed, a healer said, "I would be careful. She's in a fragile state."

"Will she still not wake up?" Loki asked.

"No. I'm sorry…" The healer then left the room. Loki sat on a chair next to her. Heard her breathing silently. Her chest fell up and down.

"Lokitty?" He heard a voice behind him say. "What are you doing in here?" Loki turned to see Freya walking towards him.

"I came to check on the person who saved my life." Loki said blandly.

"But I should be given the credit!" Freya shouted. "I was the one who went and got her. If it wasn't for me then you'd-" Loki cut her off. "No. She is the one who decided to come after me, even after how horribly I've let you treat her!" Loki said harshly.

"Lokitty!" Freya whined.

"What?!" Loki asked.

"You promised we'd go to our spot today! Come on." She said and started to pull him towards the door. He looked back at Terezah sleeping, her entire torso bandaged up. The door closed and he let Freya drag him down the hall. _Might as well spend some time with Freya._ He thought to himself, but felt like it was wrong. He shrugged off the thought and walked with the Goddess down the hall. He wasn't going to get attached to an assassin. She had done her duty and protected him. He put his arm around Freya and decided he wasn't going to keep their relationship a secret anymore. He smiled as she stopped walking. She leaned up and kissed him. Loki didn't pull away this time.


	6. Chapter 6

**I know it may sound as if I say this a lot but... Comment! I really want to know what you guys think. I won't know if you like it or not if you don't comment! :D Comments make me happy! Also, I am planning on putting a monster in a scene in a future chapter but I don't know what it should be. I was thinking either a lindworm (basically a giant fire breathing snake thing), a frost giant, or a huge ice wolf type thing. Please tell me what you think! Thank you for reading this far! Have fun reading! **

* * *

Terezah sank farther into the ground. She couldn't breathe. Her lungs burned. She started to panic. Then the ground dropped her and she was suddenly in a room. There was the same little girl from earlier. She was running, when she tripped and tumbled to the floor. She sat there, eyes filled with terror, and cried helplessly as the huge man brought a knife down on her shoulder, cutting it open. The man raised the knife again and brought it sailing down towards the little girl's body. Then she saw her mother jump in front of the knife…

Terezah watched that scene over and over again. She screamed with rage. Tears blinded her vision but she could still hear everything. She saw the scene again and again, and felt the knife cut her shoulder over and over. She felt the pain as her mother fell to the floor and died in her arms. Terezah fell to the ground. "Make it stop!" She pleaded helplessly. "Make it stop!" She sobbed. This time, her step-father turned towards her. "There's nothing you can do. You'll never find me!" he laughed and slid the knife into her mother's chest again. Her head throbbed, and she felt her eyes start to sting. Terezah felt as if her heart was going to shatter.

* * *

Loki threw the black dagger at the target. It barely grazed the target, flying past it and lodging itself in the ground a couple yards away. Terezah had been 'asleep' for almost three months. He checked on her at least once a week. The last time he checked, her broken ribs were almost healed. The healers didn't know how their magic would affect her so they decided it was best if her ribs healed naturally.

The heat of the noon day sun bore down on him, sweat trickled down his neck. He had been practicing throwing daggers, which was a lot harder than it looked. It took a lot of force and you had to throw it just right or it would miss the target. So far he hadn't hit the target yet.

After the attack that one night, he had decided to train more in combat. When the dark elves had abducted him, he had felt so helpless. He retrieved the small black dagger and went back to where he had been standing. He raised the dagger and sent it sailing towards the target. He hadn't thrown it right, and it simply bounced off the target instead of hitting it. He remembered watching her train at night all those months ago. She had her eyes closed while throwing it, and at night too. Why did she have to make it look so easy?!

"Lokitty!" He heard Freya's voice call from behind him. He turned around and watched her as she came up to him. "You are doing amazing!" She said enthusiastically.

"I haven't even hit the target." Loki snapped.

"You'll get it eventually." Freya said with a comforting smile.

"Maybe. Terezah made it look so easy." Loki grumbled. Freya frowned at hearing him say Terezah's name. Her previously sweet expression turned to that of distaste.

"She is a murdering rat. Of course she made it look easy!" Freya said angrily. Her expression finally softened and she held out a cup. "I brought you some water. You look really hot." Freya blushed as she said the last part, realizing how it sounded. Loki took the cup from her and drank the water. He handed the cup back to her and finally walked over to where the dagger lay. He picked it up and looked it over.

"Isn't that one of the rat's daggers?" Freya asked angrily.

"Why do you call her a rat?" Loki asked irritated.

"That's what I think of when I see her." Freya said with a smirk.

Loki rolled his eyes. He put the dagger in his boot and went to the stone bench nearby. He grabbed the towel sitting there and dried his neck. "Get rid of the dagger." Freya whined. Loki took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down.

"Why?" He asked trying not to get too irritated.

"It's probably cursed or something! She is creepy!" Freya huffed.

"She also saved my life." Loki shot back.

"How do you know she didn't help them get here in the first place just to make it look like she was the hero?"

Loki hadn't told anyone about Terezah's duel with the assassin who must have been her friend. She had looked so lost and angry. Too much raw emotion to be faking. "Because she didn't!" Loki defended. Freya stormed off back to the palace. Loki smirked. He was beginning to enjoy making her mad. He left the towel on the bench and started walking towards the palace himself. He went to Terezah's room and unlocked the door, stepping in. The healers had moved her to her own room after she was no longer in critical condition.

He went and sat next to her, watching her steady breathing. He wondered if she was ever going to wake up. He stared at her ash grey arm. Sudden curiosity overcame him. He had never touched her skin. He wondered what it would feel like. As he reached his hand towards her arm, he almost expected her to pull out a dagger or something. He flinched as his bare hand grazed her upper arm. Her skin was soft, and slightly cool. Her skin color seemed so unreal. He saw the scar on her shoulder. He traced his finger over it. It was a long scar that was wider than the ones he had seen from simple cuts from sparring or accidents. It must have been a deep cut. The way it ran down her shoulder vertically, suggested that whoever had cut her there was a lot bigger than her. The scar was slightly faded as well, so it had happened when she was younger. That was all he could tell about the scar.

The door to the room opened and he quickly took his hand off her shoulder. A maid came in with a tray. She set the tray on a small table by her bed. There was a bowl which had steam coming off of it and a cup with what he guessed would be water. "My Lord," The nurse said with a bow. "It is time for her lunch." The maid seemed a little shy about talking to royalty. "Of course." Loki said and stood up and left the room. Right as he left the room he heard a voice behind him.

"So Lokitty… visiting the rat?" Loki turned around to see a glaring Freya.

"If you call her rat one more time I'll have you thrown in the dungeon." Loki said mischievously. Freya scoffed at this.

"Oh will you now?" She said with fake concern. "Why were you in there?" She questioned.

Loki sighed. "I was visiting my friend in a coma."

"She's your friend now?!" Freya whined.

Loki hadn't really thought about it, but they had become friends before the coma. "Yes. Why not?" Loki asked angrily.

"She is a dark elf! That's why!" Loki rolled his eyes at this. He had been over this with her several times. Terezah was one of the coolest people he had ever met. She was funny, beautiful, serious, dangerous, slightly bipolar, and she had a past that he just had to know about. "Why do you hate dark elves so much?"

"They are a hideous species! They are creepy too! I bet all of them are trained to be mindless killers like the rat in that room." Freya huffed.

"They are an amazing people. They have a complicated culture and they are definitely not ugly. Different skin and hair color do not make people ugly."

"Let's just stop talking about her then. I don't want you seeing her!" Freya said folding her arms. Loki sighed in irritation. He didn't know what the big deal about Terezah was. Then he heard a clatter come from Terezah's room. He walked back to the room to see Terezah sitting up in bed with a wild look on her face and the maid cowering in the corner of the room with a dagger in the wall a mere inch from her face.

Terezah shouted something in elven. Loki's heart pounded at seeing her awake. She snapped her head to look at him. She reached under her pillow and Loki quickly closed the door to hear a thud from the other side. He opened the door again and there was a dagger lodged in the door where he would have been standing. "Terezah!" He shouted. She blinked in confusion.

"How… do you know my name, Asgardian?" She asked confused and slightly angry.

"You don't remember?" Loki asked, dread starting to fill him. If she didn't remember coming here, she would panic and might cause harm. He slowly approached her. "Try and remember. It's me… Loki." He said calmly. She conjured a dagger and it rested in her hand. "Come one… you came here as part of a peace contract. You saved me and got hurt in the progress… you've been in a coma for a couple months…." She shook her head furiously. "Terezah…" Loki said calmly.

She blinked again and then suddenly she said, "Loki?" Loki carefully approached her, not sure if she was faking or not. "Lokitty." She said with a huge grin. Loki rolled his eyes and sighed in relief. The maid in the corner started to whimper. "I'm sorry!" Terezah said to the maid. The maid looked up at her with scared eyes. Loki nodded his head towards the door and the maid quickly got up and left.

"What happened?" Terezah asked.

Loki sat on the chair next to her bed. "After you took that arrow for me, I took you back to the healing room. There was some kind of poison on the end of that arrow and it put you in a com-" Terezah interrupted. "_Kaima…" _Terezah said in elven.

"What?" Loki asked confused.

"It means sleep. It is a poison that I keep on some of my dagger. It puts you to sleep until something triggers you awake. It's pretty painful…" Terezah trailed off.

"Anyways, you've been asleep for almost three months…"

"Three months?!" Terezah asked in disbelief.

"Yes. You're wounds are still healing. The healers didn't know how their magic would affect you so they healed your ribs a little and then left them to heal on their own."

Terezah nodded. Then her face grew solemn. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to protect you more… they must have found a way to cloak themselves from my spell. I should have done better." Terezah said getting slightly angry.

"What spell?" Loki asked narrowing his eyes at her.

She looked at him, her golden eyes searching his blue eyes. "I cast a spell on your room the first day I came here. It warns me if anyone besides yourself enters your room. The assassins found a way to get past it."

"I'm still alive. If it weren't for you I would be dead."

"Yes… but I should have anticipated the assassins." She said looking away from him and resting her head back on her pillow.

"Who was that assassin?" Loki asked skeptically.

Terezah looked at the corner of the room. "It was nobody." She finally said, her voice breaking a little.

"It was somebody. You don't despair like that over nobody." Loki said blandly. He stared at her expectantly.

"She was a friend. We became almost like sisters at the orphanage…." Terezah trailed off.

"You're an orphan?" Loki asked completely confused at this point.

"I'm tired of lying here… help me up." Terezah said quickly. Loki realized this was a sign she wasn't going to talk about it. He wrapped an arm around her waist and she wrapped her arm around his neck. He lifted her to her feet. She shuddered once he let her go and almost fell. She caught herself and chuckled humorlessly. "Looks like I'm out of practice…"

She limped over to the corner of the room and winced as she bent to take the dagger out of the wall. Loki watched as she struggled to walk. She walked to the door and pulled that dagger out. She sighed. "Looks like I'm not getting out of these bandages. I'm going to have to go out in this." she said gesturing to what she was wearing. She was wearing loose black pants… Loki paused at noticing this for the first time. Her entire torso was bandaged up, and she was probably not wearing anything underneath it. The bandages came up to her armpits. She limped towards her dresser and pulled out a black cloak and slipped it on. She was barefoot and Loki actually thought her small toes were kind of cute. She pulled on a pair of black knee high boots.

"Are you sure you want to go out there?" Loki asked her as she went to the trunk with all her daggers in it. She strapped a dagger to her arm and one on her leg.

"Yeah… I'm feeling better already." Terezah said grinning.

"Alright…" Loki said unsure of what to say. Her limp was getting better and she walked towards her bed and sat down. She muttered something and a rune flashed in front of her stomach. "What was that?" Loki asked.

"A simple healing spell. It reduces the pain and helps the wound heal faster." She said standing up. She almost fell over and Loki quickly caught her arm. "Thanks." She said now wrapping her arm around his. He walked her slowly to the door. While she did look to be in less pain, she still had trouble walking. Loki opened the door and led her out, shutting the door behind her. They were almost to the dining hall when Thor came running towards them.

"Lady Terezah! You have woken!" He shouted happily. Terezah turned to look at Loki. "How are your wounds?" Thor asked.

"Alright… I guess." Terezah said slowly. Soon they made their way to the dining hall and joined the Warriors Three and Sif. They all chatted happily, and for once Loki actually felt like joining the conversation.

* * *

Freya watched as Loki came into the dining hall with Terezah on his arm. She glared at the dark elf. It had been she who had woken the dark elf up to save Loki, she should have gotten the credit for saving him. She watched how Loki looked caringly at Terezah. Freya left the room. She was sick of the dark elf. That was all she had seen the month before Loki had been abducted. She had hit her in the stomach with an arrow and yet the dark elf still lived. How was she still alive?! She was supposed to be dead. She had aimed for Loki, knowing Terezah would have just dodged the arrow. When she threw the dagger at her, it had pinned her to the tree and she had tried desperately to yank her dress free.

As she watched the arrow sink into Terezah's stomach, and heard the crack as her ribs broke, she had never felt so happy. Loki then picked her up and started running back to the palace. Loki was hers and the dark elf rat was stealing him. She had hired those stupid assassins to end Terezah by drawing her out into the woods. Next time she should try something else like poisoning her food or something. _Loki is MINE! _She thought angrily as she stormed into her room. She looked at her beautiful form in the mirror. _I am the Goddess of Love and Beauty. She's just a stupid assassin rat! _She opened her trunk by her fancily carved bed and took out her bow. She held her bow in her hand and threw it at the wall in rage. _"_I will get you rat! Loki is mine!" She said aloud.

* * *

Terezah felt smoke filling her lungs. Her eyes burned and the image of her mother being murdered continued playing. She couldn't do anything. All she could do was stand there and watch. She didn't understand why she never got used to it. It had happened at a young age, but it shouldn't have scarred her this bad. But every time the knife slid through her mother's heart, she watched as her mother's eyes widened and she gasped.

She had been powerless to save her own mother. She watched the little girl in the corner cowering in fear. She watched herself let her mother die. Then the scene changed. She was sixteen. Having been kicked out of the orphanage with Vallerie, they struggled to make ends meet. She had found a job as a waitress at a bar and Vallerie worked as a maid. They would meet at the end of the day in their small one room house. It was a particular day she didn't like to remember.

"_Waitress! Another round!" A drunken man on table seven demanded. Terezah set a bottle of alcohol on the table in front of him. She turned and entered the kitchens. She took two trays of food, balancing one in each hand and left to deliver them to table four and nine. She was dressed in a short, red skirt and a black tank top that barely reached her belly button. She set the tray of food in the middle of table four and started walking towards table nine. As she neared a table, a huge man sat there with his buddies. As she put the tray on the table, he whistled at her and grabbed her hand. "Hey sweetie." He said licking his lips. She yanked her hand from his grasp. "I like you." He said and pulled her down onto his lap. He was clearly drunk. "Let go of me!" She shouted at the man. He laughed and slid a hand down her waist. She didn't like where this was going. "I have other tables to do!" She shouted. It was so rowdy in the bar, nobody noticed what was happening. "Aww… you're so cute!" He said pulling her head towards his. He rested his lips on her neck. She tried to get away but couldn't. The man was too strong. "Let go of me!" She screamed. He pulled his mouth away from her neck and laughed. "The lady said to let go." She heard a man say from behind them. The large man craned his neck and looked at the man who had spoken. "Go get em' Larius!" A man at the table said to the man who had pulled her onto his lap. Larius shoved her off his lap, still crushing her wrist in a death grip. The man who had spoken was tall and wore a hood so you couldn't see his face. He wore clothes that were made out of brown and grey animal pelts. A sword hung around his waist. Larius rushed the man and tried to punch him in the face. The man quickly stepped aside and Larius stumbled past him and crashed into a nearby table. He still had a hold on Terezah's wrist and she was propelled forward with him. He let go of her and she hit her head on the floor. Larius stood back up and kept going at him. After a few minutes of this he finally gave up. "She isn't worth it anyways!" Larius spat at the stranger's feet, and left the bar with his cronies tailing behind him. The stranger approached her and helped her to her feet. "Stay out of trouble." He said and quickly disappeared. _

As Terezah watched this memory she wondered what had happened to the man who had saved her. He had simply disappeared and she had never seen him again.

"_Terezah." _She heard her mother's voice say. The vision flickered and her mother stood in front of her. _"It's time to wake up." _Her mother said sternly. She felt her head start to spin and her mother disappeared. Her eyes fluttered open.

She was in a strange room and an Asgardian lady was feeding her something. The lady seemed surprised, and Terezah flung the bowl out of her hands. "Where am I?!" She shouted at the lady, who looked at her in confusion. The lady backed up and Terezah threw a dagger at her. She had been abducted by Asgardians! A man entered the room and looked between her and the lady in the corner of the room. She threw a dagger at the man who quickly shut the door and the dagger lodged itself where he had been. He opened the door again and said, "Terezah!" She didn't know if she had heard him right. Had he just said her name?

"How… do you know my name, Asgardian?" She asked confused and slightly angry. The man looked disappointed and hurt. "You don't remember?" The man slowly approached her. "Try and remember. It's me… Loki." He said calmly. She conjured a dagger and it rested in her hand. "Come one… you came here as part of a peace contract. You saved me and got hurt in the progress… you've been in a coma for a couple months…." She shook her head furiously, trying to sort her scrambled thoughts. "Terezah…" The man said calmly.

Suddenly, memories started flashing in her head. Loki, Freya, Thor, training, assassins… "Loki?" She asked. He looked at her suspiciously. He must not believe she knew him yet. She grinned as a thought came into her head. "Lokitty." She said. Loki rolled his eyes and sighed, relief spreading across his face. She remembered him.


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm trying to come up with ideas for how to get rid of Freya, but I haven't come up with anything solid. If you have any suggestions, please SUGGEST them! :) No pressure... if you guys don't have anything then I will just come up with something on my own. Well, have fun reading. I hope you like it!**

* * *

Terezah leaned on the black staff she had gotten at the market the day she had gone with Loki. Her ribs and stomach were almost healed, but not walking for nearly three months had weakened her legs quite a bit. It had been a week since she had woken up. The news had spread quickly through the palace about how she had saved Prince Loki. Many of the rumors made her roll her eyes. There was one floating around that she had battled a hundred warriors that were sent to abduct Loki and eat him.

Terezah walked down the hall beside Loki, using the staff as support. Loki was currently talking with Freya who wanted to watch him practice his dagger throwing. Apparently he had been practicing throwing daggers. Terezah couldn't help but laugh as Freya basically pleaded him to show off his dagger throwing. It had taken Terezah over twenty years to master the art perfectly. While she was a lot more comfortable fighting with daggers, she had also mastered archery. She hadn't practiced her archery in months. Since Loki was going out to practice dagger throwing, she decided to practice her archery.

She hadn't left Loki's side since she had woken up, for fear of not being there if he was attacked again. "Lokitty… do you mind if we go get my bow? I need to practice my archery…" She said innocently as Freya glared at her for stealing her pet name for Loki. "Sure…" Loki said and then continued his conversation with Freya. Terezah didn't know what he found interesting in the brat. She shook these thoughts out of her head. Why should she care who Loki spends his time with?

They returned to her room and she grabbed her black bow. They walked out to the sparring field where targets were set up. It must have been where Loki had been practicing. Terezah and Freya sat on the stone bench and watched as Loki stood in the middle of the targets. Terezah noticed mistake after mistake as he threw his first dagger sloppily. It simply flew past the target and landed in the grass behind it. Freya clapped her hands in joy. "Good try Loki! You'll get it soon enough!"

Terezah rolled her eyes. "If you keep throwing the dagger with your hand lowering after you let it go, you'll never hit that target." Freya glared at her. "He doesn't need advice from a rat!"

"This rat has mastered this ratty art! I know what I'm doing." Terezah said in a mock tone. She then stood up and went over to Loki. She took the dagger from him and studied it. It was the one she had given him. She grinned and closed her eyes. She spun on her heel and twisted the dagger expertly and let it fly. She opened her eyes and watched as the dagger flew into the exact center of the farthest target. Loki's eyes widened. "Show me…" He said.

She used her magic and the dagger appeared in her hand and she gave it to Loki. "Show me your stance before you throw it." She demanded. Loki took his stance and Terezah sighed. She raised his arm and lowered his other one. "Straighten your back and don't spread your legs so far apart." She instructed. She heard Freya scoff. Loki did as told. After about an hour, she decided that was as much practice as he could handle. "My turn." She said with a twisted grin and retrieved her bow.

She studied the positions of the targets and closed her eyes. She nocked an arrow and let it fly, she felt another arrow in her hand and let it go. She heard two thuds and opened her eyes. Both arrows had hit their targets in the center ring, but not exactly in the center. She shrugged. She was always the best at throwing daggers anyways.

She kept her eyes open this time and nocked another arrow, taking a couple seconds to aim before letting go. The arrow hit dead in the center of the target. She decided to make it harder. She nocked two arrows and let them fly, hearing the thuds at roughly the same time. Both had hit their targets in the center again. She started spinning, twisting, and jumping around the ring, letting both daggers and arrows fly towards their targets, always hitting them dead on.

"How long did it take you to get that down?" She heard Loki ask. She approached the bench and sat down. "At least a century. Of course, hitting close range targets that aren't moving isn't very difficult." She said arrogantly.

"I could barely tell you are injured." Loki replied skeptically.

"I've been healing myself every night before I sleep." Terezah said proudly.

"I'm ready to try again." Loki said and stood up.

"Okay. Pick your dagger." Terezah said, following him back into the ring. Freya stood up and left, walking towards the palace. Loki pulled the black dagger out of his boot.

"Wise choice." Terezah chided. "My daggers are specifically meant for throwing. They are perfectly balanced and aerodynamic. Now… throw the dagger like we practiced a little bit ago." Loki twisted and threw the dagger at the nearest target. It still flew past the target, but came very close to hitting it.

"Remember your footing. Also, don't lower your left arm. I know you are throwing with your right arm, but when you lower your left it throws you off balance."

"Why is this so complicated?" Loki asked as he used his magic to make the dagger appear in his hand as she had done earlier.

Terezah couldn't help but chuckle at this, remembering herself asking her instructor the same thing when she had been learning to throw a dagger. "It just is." She said with a smile. Freya came back with two cups in her hand. She handed one to Loki and drank the other one herself. Freya smiled innocently as Terezah glared at her. Freya hadn't brought her a drink on purpose. The sun beat down on the three of them and as she watched Loki raise the cup to his lips she looked away.

"Do you want mine?" Loki asked. Terezah was temporarily confused.

"Uh… no. I'm fine. Thanks for the offer though." She lied.

"I love how you blush when you lie. Do it again." He said with a smirk. Terezah rolled her eyes. Trying to deceive the God of Mischief wasn't a good idea. She took the cup from him and felt the cold water trickle down her throat. "Thanks Lokitty." She said and handed the empty cup to the fuming Freya. Terezah smiled.

"Thank you most beautiful Freya." Loki said and kissed her forehead. Freya beamed and grinned at Terezah. Terezah didn't know why she was grinning. She really didn't care. Freya started walking towards the palace again with the empty cups. Loki and Terezah returned to the training ring and continued.

* * *

Terezah sat across from Frigga. Frigga raised the tea cup to her lips and drank it. Terezah looked at the contents in her own cup. She had never had this…. tea… before. It smelled weird. The queen laughed. "My dear, you're supposed to drink it." She said heartily. The queen had invited her for tea on her second day at Asgard. It had been at least seven months and finally she was forced to go. The queen sat on a comfy looking seat and Terezah sat opposite of her. "Yes. I am sorry. It smells weird." She said respectfully.

The queen smiled. "You should at least try it."

Terezah again looked at the contents in the cup. She really didn't want to try it. She used her magic and changed the tea into water. She drank the water and set the cup back down. "How was it?" The queen asked.

"Not bad." She said. In truth, the water didn't taste that bad so she wasn't lying.

"I must thank you for saving my son." The queen said and set down her cup on a small plate in front of her. "That was very noble of you." Terezah thought about this. She had done this sort of thing for her queen on Svartalfheim many times. She had never been thanked for it though. It had been considered her duty to protect the queen at all costs.

"It was my duty." Terezah replied.

"I know, my dear. But what you did was amazing none the less." Frigga said with a warm smile. "Honestly, how are you doing here?" The queen said looking Terezah in the eyes. Terezah thought about all that had happened. She had continued having nightmares after she had woken up from her coma. "I'm doing alright." She said quickly.

"There is something you are hiding. Something that hurts you." Frigga said caringly. Terezah swallowed hard. Frigga was extremely smart. "I don't know what you mean." Terezah lied.

"If you're going to lie to me, you have to do better than my son. You can tell me." Frigga said. Terezah contemplated her choices. She could tell Frigga about her nightmares and her mother's death or she could try and lie to the queen. She let out a sigh. "I have been having nightmares…" Terezah said looking away from the concerned queen.

"About what, my dear?" The queen asked in a soft, motherly voice.

"My mother's death…" Terezah said, her voice breaking a little. She had never talked to anyone about her mother's death openly. Frigga seemed so concerned for her wellbeing. Terezah had never known anyone besides Vallerie and her own mother who had actually cared about her.

"Tell me what you see in these nightmares about your mother." The queen continued.

Terezah started telling her about the day her mother was killed. She told Frigga of how she couldn't get past her mother's death for some reason. Frigga watched her while she related the story. Her expression turned from concern to sadness. Terezah couldn't hold back the tears anymore as they slipped down her cheeks. She felt her heart pounding as silence followed. Then the queen stood up and walked around the table to her side. What she did next shocked Terezah more than anything. The queen embraced her. Terezah had never been hugged by anyone but her own mother. Frigga held her for a long time and Terezah cried into her shoulder. She felt relieved that someone knew about the pain she had been carrying for centuries.

The queen pulled back from her and looked her in the eyes. "You are cared about. Know that." The queen said and hugged her again.

* * *

After having tea with the queen Terezah returned to the dining halls to find Loki. The dining hall was empty. Terezah thought where else her might be. She walked towards the royal library. The guards standing on either side of the doors wouldn't let her in. "Is Prince Loki inside?" She asked the guards. "No." One of the guards said sternly. Terezah turned around and headed towards his chambers. Maybe he was in his chambers. She approached his door and listened. She didn't hear anything. She started to panic. What if he had been abducted again?! She scurried through the halls and eventually ran into Sif. "Do you know where Loki is?" Terezah asked her urgently. "I believe I saw him in the stables with Lady Freya. They were getting some horses. They are probably out in the country or something." Sif said. Terezah started to panic. "Calm down!" Sif said and placed a hand on her shoulder.

Terezah looked at her. "He has never been attacked while he goes out with her. He has done it a few times and always come back safely a few hours later." Sif explained. Terezah nodded. Sif started walking back down the hall.

"Wait… Are you busy?" Terezah asked.

"Nope. I was just going to find Thor to see if he is doing anything worth my time." Sif said.

"How good are you with swords?" Terezah asked with a grin.

Sif smiled mischievously. "Let's go." She said and they started walking out towards the sparring fields. They found a ring that wasn't being used and sparred. Terezah hadn't practiced with swords for a long time. She was a bit rusty and Sif beat her.

"You are very well learned at sword fighting." Terezah said to Sif.

"I fight best with a sword. I have seen you with daggers. I doubt I would have won if you were using a dagger instead of a sword." Sif replied.

"I am a little rusty when it comes to sword fighting." There was a small pause in the conversation as she and Sif sat there on a stone bench. "Do you guys never have winter here?" Terezah asked.

"We only have winter for two months at the most. Other than that it's gold and sunny here in Asgard." Sif said.

"Okay… when is your winter?"

"Oh… it should be coming up in about a month." Sif replied.

"It isn't even beginning to cool down yet though. It is still as hot as ever."

"Don't worry. It'll come." Sif said with a laugh. After she said that, Terezah spotted two horses approaching the stables. She had been sparring with Sif for almost an hour. Terezah stood up and started walking towards the stables. "Thanks for the sparring." Terezah called back to Sif. "Maybe next time you can try harder to beat me!" Sif said with another laugh.

Terezah started running towards the stables. When she got there, Loki and Freya were kissing. Terezah decided not to disturb them, so she turned around to leave. After almost five minutes, Loki and Freya finally came out of the stables. Freya was on Loki's arm and sneered at her when their eyes met. "Lokitty, your rat wants attention." Freya said in a snobby voice.

"Don't bother her. She's just here to protect me. She won't bother us." Loki said. Terezah was a little shocked at this. Loki was almost excusing her and telling her to be quiet. Freya smiled innocently. _Time to disappear for his majesty again. _She thought to herself. She bowed to Loki and glared at him. "Not a sound." She said and hurriedly disappeared around the corner, so she was out of sight.

After all she had done for him, he still dismissed her as some sort of puppet. She was half tempted to shove a dagger down his throat. Terezah sighed. She couldn't let herself get worked up over this. Loki was putting her in her place. She was a guard. An assassin. She couldn't expect him to think of her as anything more than a person doing her job. As much as she hated to admit it, she was a little disappointed that he didn't want to be friends.

She followed Loki and Freya silently. She jumped from column to column just as she had done months ago. Loki and Freya were headed for the dining hall. She watched them eat together, chatting happily. Her life just got boring again. Suddenly she jumped in surprise when the door swung open loudly and Thor came into the room.

"Brother! Your games have become too cruel! Why did you do that?!" Thor bellowed and slammed his fist down on the table in front of Loki.

"Whatever do you mean?" Loki said with fake confusion.

"My favorite red cape! It is half green now!" Thor said with anger twisting onto his face. He started to turn red as he became angrier.

"It was some simple fun." Loki said with a smug grin on his face. Thor reached over and grabbed Loki. Terezah had never seen Thor this mad in her life. She sensed this wasn't going to end well and jumped down from her spot. Thor shoved Loki and he toppled backwards. Thor was about to pounce when she intervened.

"Thor!" Thor turned to her, face plastered with rage. "Is a cape worth beating your own little brother up?" She asked. Thor looked back to Loki sprawled on the floor. "Is it?" Terezah asked.

"No…" Thor said looking away from both of them. "I'll help repair your cape. I know magic as well." She bargained. Thor's face lit up. "I accept." Thor said and turned to Loki who was picking himself up. "You are lucky Lady Terezah is there for you." Thor said glaring at his brother who seemed rather shaken up. Terezah followed Thor to his chambers. When she entered, a horrible smell hit her. It smelled like mead. The room was messy and disorganized. It looked as if it hadn't been cleaned in centuries. Thor showed her the dark red cape that was half green. Terezah felt the green half of the cape. She muttered a spell and black runes appeared above his cape.

Then the green disappeared and it turned the same color red as the other half. "Thank you Lady Terezah!" Thor said happily. She gave him the cape and he put it on. It looked like all the other ones that he wore, but whatever he fancied. "I don't understand why my brother has to do these things." Thor said.

"Have you ever considered getting him back?" Terezah asked. Loki needed to learn a lesson.

"No… he is my brother." Thor said.

"He'll keep doing stuff like this if you don't." Terezah taunted. Then Fandral entered the room. "What are we talking about?" He asked, his eyes flickering between them. "Are you….?" Fandral trailed off.

"No!" Thor and she shouted at the same time.

Terezah cleared her throat. "No… I was just repairing one of Loki's tricks." She said quickly.

"Yes. Lady Terezah was just telling me how I should play a trick on Loki."

Fandral beamed. "I would love to help!"

Terezah turned to leave the room. "Sorry boys, you'll have to figure it out on your own. I won't stop you, but I can't help you. That would be against my duties." She explained. Thor and Fandral nodded. Terezah left Thor's room and headed back to the dining halls. Loki was sitting by Freya again. The hall was empty besides the two of them. Loki saw her come in. She had forgotten to hide.

"And you saved me once again." Loki said sarcastically. Terezah rolled her eyes. She didn't understand how he could be like a friend one minute and then a complete jerk the next. She decided to ignore him and went to the corner of the room and stood there. Loki and Freya talked for almost an hour before Freya excused herself for the night. Loki looked at Terezah in the corner of the room.

"You can come out now." Loki said.

"I don't think I will." Terezah huffed.

"Why?" Loki asked with a confused look on his face.

"You told me to scram earlier today and you just mocked me." She said in a bland tone.

Loki stood up and neared her. "I do it because Freya gets jealous when I talk to you." Loki said, now standing next to her.

"I don't care." Terezah said glaring at him. "You put me back in my place. I am just here to protect you." She said and looked away from him.

"Fine." Loki hissed. He quickly walked out of the room and headed towards his chambers. She rushed after him, trying to keep up. He walked into his room and shut his door in her face. She sighed and sat down on the other side of the hall across from his door. She had been sleeping there because she didn't want to risk another attack. She leaned against the wall and slid down into a sitting position. She hugged her knees and leaned her head back against the wall. It wasn't very comfortable, but she had to do it.

* * *

Loki sat on his bed, frustrated at Terezah's stubbornness. He didn't understand what he had said wrong. He didn't want to upset Freya, but he also didn't want to upset the dark elf assassin that followed him around everywhere he went. He thought back to the night Terezah had saved him. He remembered watching as she jumped in front of him and all the sudden an arrow lodged itself in her stomach. He now felt slightly guilty for not treating her as a friend. He walked to his door and opened it. There across the hall from him was Terezah curled up in a ball, her head tilted back against the wall. She was asleep.

It didn't look very comfortable. Now he felt even guiltier. She had been sleeping outside his door? He closed his door again. If she was really that worried, she could sleep in his reading room or something. He pushed these thoughts away. What would people think about a dark elf sleeping in his room? Remembering the sight of her sleeping out in the cold hall, curled up on the hard marble floor… it wasn't right to just leave her out there. He opened the door again.

"Terezah." He whispered.

Her golden eyes fluttered open and she tilted her head down and looked at him. "What?" She asked in an annoyed tone.

He thought about how to word his next sentence so it didn't come out wrong. "How long have you been sleeping outside my door?" He asked.

"Ever since I woke from my little three month nap." She snapped.

"Would you at least sleep in my reading room or something?" He cringed, hoping he had worded it right. He wasn't very good at doing this 'nice' stuff. He should just stick to his pranks. She stared at him skeptically, eyes searching his own blue eyes. "Fine." She said as she stood up. Loki couldn't believe she had actually agreed.

"I'll consider this your apology since you're too prideful to actually say it." She said and entered his room. She headed straight for his reading room. "How do you know where my reading room is?" Loki asked her.

She grinned at him. "I've been in here before." She said playfully. Loki tried to think when she had ever entered his room. "Hey! That's mine." Terezah said pointing towards the key to his room that was sitting on his desk.

"No it isn't." Loki said irritated.

"Your mother gave it to me." Terezah said.

Loki couldn't believe it. His mother had given her the key to his room?! "When did she do that?" Loki asked a little angry.

"The second day I got here. That's how I got into your room that one morning." Terezah said grinning. She grabbed the key from his desk.

"The second day?! She trusted you the second day you got here?!" Loki asked in disbelief.

"I tried to tell you, but you cut me off." Terezah said sharply. She went into the reading room and sat on the chair in there. Loki just watched her. She looked at him a raised her eyebrows. "What?" She asked. "Do I have something on my face?"

"No…" Loki grumbled and went back to his bed. He took off his armor and got dressed into his dark green shorts. The door to the reading room was closed. Loki sat on his bed. Then the door opened. "Why do you sleep shirtless?" She asked with a puzzled look on her face.

Loki sighed in irritation. "Because… I just do…" He replied.

She giggled. "Okay then. Goodnight Lokitty!" She said and closed the door, but left it open a crack. Loki blew out the candle by his bed and the room went dark. He closed the curtains around his bed and laid down, pulling the heavy dark green blankets over himself. He finally fell asleep.


	8. Chapter 8

**I'm a little disappointed that nobody will comment... :( Come on peoples! If you have time to read this story, then you can take 30 seconds and comment! 30 seconds! :D I do hope you like this chapter. I've been thinking of this scene for a while. Have fun reading!**

* * *

_Terezah was running. Faster. Faster. She pushed her legs to go faster. Her lungs burned and her muscles ached. She had to get home before her step-father. She burst through the back door and bolted down to her room in the basement. Her heart sunk. There was her step-father, standing in the middle of her room. "You're two minutes late!" He screamed at her. She tried to duck as he swung his hand at her, but he was too fast. He slapped her in the face. The force knocked her down to the floor. She felt his foot come down on her stomach. He called her not-so-nice names and picked her up. He threw her at the wall and she hit her head. She didn't know what she had done wrong. She silently cursed herself as he came upon her. He dragged her to her feet by her hair. She screamed at the pain of being held by her hair. "Such horrid looking hair! You need a haircut!" She was filled with dread as he dragged her up the stairs by her beautiful long silver hair. He held her up in the air by her hair and pulled out his sword. She felt as the blade sawed through her hair. She dropped to the floor and her step-father held a handful of her silver hair. "Much better! Now get out of my sight!" He yelled and kicked her in the ribs. Terezah stumbled to her feet and ran down to her room. She looked in her small, cracked hand mirror and started to sob. Her hair was just above shoulder length and uneven. She curled into a ball and sobbed._

Terezah woke up with a jolt. She was breathing heavily, cold sweat running down her neck. She felt tears run down her face. Loki burst into the reading room. "What happened?!" He asked urgently. "What do you mean?" Terezah asked, trying to cover her face so he couldn't see her crying.

"I heard you scream…" Loki trailed off. She looked up at the shirtless Loki looming over her.

"Just a dream." She said, trying to avoid any other questions. Loki sighed.

"Are you ever going to stop lying to me?" He asked irritated. Terezah looked back down at the floor and more tears fell from her eyes. "Might as well tell Thor and Odin also…" She muttered.

"…Why?" Loki asked confused.

"Your mother knows, and now you're going to know…" She trailed off. She had to trust him at some point. She couldn't keep covering her past up. The nightmares were getting worse and more often. Loki sat down next to her. "You can tell me…" He said looking into her golden eyes. She nodded.

"I… have dreams about… my past…." She started. She didn't know how to tell him. How could she trust the God of Mischief? She looked at Loki who was staring at her intently. "They're about my mother's death… and some of the things my step-father did to me…. sometimes it's about other things…" She looked down at her hands.

"What happened to your mother?" Loki asked. Terezah fought back tears.

"My step-father killed her." She said through gritted teeth.

"Oh…" Loki said.

"I couldn't stop him! I hid in the corner like a coward as he drove the knife through her heart!" She couldn't help it. Anger had scarred her heart. Loki looked down at the floor as well.

"How old were you?" He asked quietly.

"Ten…"

There was absolute silence for a couple minutes. Then Loki spoke up, "Tell me exactly what happened in your dream." Terezah snapped her gaze towards him. She let more tears spill out of her eyes.

"It was when I was about eight. My mother had remarried when I was about seven. The first year was fine, but his true personality started to come out. Anyways…" she paused and tried to swallow the lump in her throat. "My step-father made me walk home from school, which was almost a three hour walk away. If I didn't get home before him, he would beat me. This time, I got home two minutes after he did. He started beating me like usual, but this time he picked me up by my hair and decided it was time for a haircut…" Her voice started to break. She hated the man so much. "He pulled out his sword and sliced off my hair…" She said and looked at Loki.

"What about your mother? Did she not try to stop him?" Loki asked.

Terezah remembered her mother, beaten and bruised. Her golden eyes had lost their life-filled shimmer. "My step-father locked her in her room. He beat her more than he did me. She died saving me…" Her voice trailed off and she couldn't help it anymore. She started to sob. She buried her face in her hands.

* * *

Loki didn't know what to do. He had listened to her story, slightly shocked at how horrible her life had been. She now sat there sobbing and he wasn't doing anything. He placed a hand on her back. He didn't know what else he could do to comfort her. She then did something he never would have expected. She threw her arms around his neck and sobbed into his shoulder. It took a minute before he wrapped his arms around the shaking form. He almost felt sorry for her. He didn't understand how she could blame herself for the death of her mother. She had only been ten years old.

Finally she pulled away from him and wiped the tears away from her eyes. "Sorry…" She whispered. To be honest, he had enjoyed the embrace. "It's fine." He said and smiled warmly at her. He glanced at the scar on her shoulder. He now had an idea where it came from.

They sat there in silence for a few more minutes. "Well… we both need to get some sleep. Thanks for the talk." She said, returning to her tougher self. "If you tell a soul, I'll kill you." she said simply and looked him in the eyes. "Especially if you tell The Goddess of Love and Beauty." She said in a mock tone. Loki chuckled. "I won't tell anyone… especially her." He said. She looked him in the eyes.

Loki stood up and left the reading room. He laid back on his bed and closed his eyes, trying to fall asleep. He couldn't get Terezah's disturbing story out of his mind. _Who would do such a thing to a child? _He asked himself. He pictured a small dark elf child getting beaten ruthlessly by a large dark elf man. He tried to quiet his roaming thoughts so he could sleep, but he couldn't. He had wondered for months where she had gotten the scar and why she had nightmares. Now that he knew at least some of her story, he couldn't stop thinking about it. She had probably become an assassin for that reason: So nobody could push her around. Finally he drifted off to sleep, thinking about how she had turned to him for comfort.

* * *

He woke up to someone shaking him. He opened his eyes. "Lokitty! Good morning!" Freya said. She was sitting on his bed. "How did you get in here?" He asked.

"I have my ways." She said with a smirk. His eyes darted to his reading room's door. It was wide open and Terezah was gone. He sat up and looked at the sky through his balcony. The sky was just turning a light purple. The sun hadn't even risen yet.

"Why are we up so early?" He asked.

"So we can sneak out before the rat wakes up!" Freya said happily. Loki smirked. Terezah was gone, which meant she was watching their conversation from some hiding place. "I want to sleep!" Loki said and dropped his head back to his pillow.

Freya glared at him. "Get up now!" She said with a little more force.

"We don't have to avoid her. I could just tell her to stay out of sight. She wouldn't bother us…" Loki said and then yawned.

"No! I don't want someone watching us!" She said angrily.

"I don't get why you are so against Terezah!"

"She is a dark elf! A DARK ELF! She is probably manipulating you! Lokitty, she is horrible!"

Loki was losing patience. He really didn't want to do anything but go back to sleep. He guessed it was still five in the morning. He usually got up at seven. "I don't want to get up right now! I'm not going anywhere with you until past seven!" Loki said and then put a pillow over his face.

"Fine!" She huffed. "Be that way! Eventually, you'll see that I'm right about the rat!" She stormed out of his room.

Loki sighed in relief and pulled the pillow off his face. Directly above him was the dark elf they had been talking about, staring him in the eyes. "Good morning! I didn't know you got up so early…" She said looking slightly confused.

"I don't." Loki said glumly.

"I was just getting breakfast. I passed Freya in the hall… she looked pretty angry." Terezah said with a chuckle.

"You get up this early?" Loki asked. He started to feel more awake.

"Yeah. I only need like five hours of sleep." She said.

So she hadn't heard their conversation. He still couldn't believe she got up at five in the morning. "Why do you get up at five though? You don't have to start guarding me until I get up."

"You are up… usually I go and practice archery, but since you're awake, I get to guard you now."

Loki sighed and pulled the covers off. He sat up. It was time to start his day. Terezah left the room and waited outside for him, while he got dressed. She walked with him to the dining hall. As he got there, he saw Freya. "Oh! So you'll get up for her and not me?!" She asked, starting to turn red with anger.

"No. I couldn't go back to sleep so I decided to get up." Freya seemed to calm down. "I'll get you a plate of food." She said with a sly smile. Loki sat down at the table in the middle of the room and Terezah sat by him. Freya got him a plate of food with her back to him. "So… what boring prince stuff are you going to do today?" Terezah asked him with a grin.

"I was thinking of reading about Svartalfheim. It sounds like an interesting place…" He replied and watched Freya bring him a plate of food and a drink. Nobody had seen her slip some food poisoning into Loki's drink. She set the plate of food and drink in front of him. "Enjoy your breakfast. I have to travel back to my father's house today. He needs me." Freya said as she left the room.

"Why read about it when you can ask a person who's lived there?" Terezah asked him while he drank his water. Something was different… it tasted a little strange. It was probably nothing. He started eating his food and talking to Terezah about Svartalfheim when he started feeling sick.

"Are you alright?" Terezah asked him.

"Yeah…" He said nodding his head. She placed a hand on his forehead.

"You have a fever. You should go lay down." Loki started to feel dizzy as he stood up. He lost his balance and almost fell. He felt Terezah slide her arm around his waist and put his arm over her shoulder. "I'll help you…" she said. They started walking back to his room. He laid down on his bed and fell asleep. When he woke up, he felt a cold wet rag on his face.

He tried to sit up, but someone pushed him back down. He was shirtless and Terezah was sitting on his bed next to him. "You have a massive fever. You've been asleep for a couple hours. It's almost noon." She said and put the rag in a bucket. She pulled it back out and ringed the water out of it. She put the cool rag on his bare chest. The rag felt amazing.

She lifted his head and held a cup of water up to his lips. He felt so weak. He sipped at the water and she lowered his head back down onto the pillow. It felt boiling hot in the room. He was sweating and had a huge headache. His head started pounding. He groaned. She put the cold rag on his face again. He looked up at her. In her golden eyes, he saw worry. He watched her golden eyes as she caressed his face with the cool rag. His eyes closed and he fell asleep again.

* * *

After Terezah had helped Loki back to his room, she took off his armor and undershirt. He was boiling hot at this point. He was groaning and sweating. She left him on his bed as she went back to the kitchens to fetch a cold pail of water. When she got there, she saw a maid taking his plate and cup away. "Wait!" She said to the maid who was going into the kitchens. She recognized the maid as the same one who had been feeding her soup when she had woken from her coma. The maid looked at her with frightened eyes, but stopped walking.

"Can I see that cup?" She asked the lady who shyly gave her the cup. Terezah raised the cup to her nose and sniffed it. "_Vasa Lirva…" _She muttered as she recognized the smell of a food poisoner. People had tried to poison the Queen of the Dark Elves, so she had learned the smells and tastes of many different poisons. This particular one was called _Vasa Lirva_. The maid looked at her confused. "Oh yeah… sorry about throwing a dagger at you when I woke up… I forgot where I was for a moment." The maid nodded in understanding.

"Do you know where I could get a pail of cold water?" She asked the maid.

"Yes. I'll get you one." The maid said.

"Oh! Could you get me a rag too?"

The maid just nodded and went into the kitchen. Terezah waited for a few minutes before she came back out again. She handed Terezah the pail of cold water and a rag. "Thanks!" Terezah said as she took the bucket and rag.

She quickly walked back to Loki's chambers. His face was flushed and when she felt his head again, his fever had risen. Somebody had poisoned his drink. The last one to touch his food had been Freya, but she couldn't see why Freya would poison her lover. She sat on the bed next to Loki and dipped the rag in the water. The water was indeed very cold. She put the rag on his forehead. _At least he isn't vomiting. _She thought to herself as she watched the sleeping prince.

She continued to put the rag in the cold water and back on his forehead and sometimes chest. She did this all day. He had only woken up once. He was clearly delirious. He mumbled stuff in his sleep and groaned. She would occasionally tip his head up and allow water to trickle into his mouth. She had to keep him hydrated. She sat by his side all day and tended to him. It was well into the night and she was feeling exhausted. She replaced the rag again and watched him. He had at least stopped groaning and his fever had gone down a little.

It was a little past midnight when he finally woke up. He sat up and looked at her. She touched his forehead again and his fever had now gone down quite a bit. He must be getting over it. "Have I been asleep all day?" Loki asked. Terezah nodded. "I went back to the kitchens to get a pail of cold water and this rag. Well, nobody usually gets sick that fast, so I went back and smelled your drink. When I was serving the queen, sometimes people would try to poison her and it is easiest to do that in the drink. Anyways, I smelled you drink and someone put a food poison known as _Vasa Lirva _where I come from…" Loki just looked at her. "Interesting…" He said.

"You look exhausted. I feel a lot better now. Go get some sleep." He said to her. Terezah didn't want to leave him unprotected, so she slept in the reading room.

* * *

Loki couldn't believe she had been by his side all day. Nobody but his mother had ever done that for him. He watched her as she fell asleep. She left the door to the reading room open in case he needed anything. She was absolutely beautiful. He stopped himself from thinking this. He was already courting Freya. Now he understood why she was jealous. He laid back down in bed. He remembered her hands wiping the cold rag on his face. She looked as if she actually cared. He fell asleep again.

Loki woke up slightly startled. He looked over at the door to the reading room which was still open. The sun was peeking above the horizon, lighting up the room. Terezah was still asleep, her back to him. He was now wide awake. He got up and changed into some armor. He was wondering if he should wake Terezah up. She would probably panic if he was gone when she woke up. He decided he'd wait for her to wake. He didn't want her rampaging through the palace looking for him. He smiled at the thought of her storming though the halls.


	9. Chapter 9

Thor and Fandral contemplated what they should do to get Loki back. They had come up with many things they could do, but they couldn't agree on any one idea. Sif, Volstagg, and Hogun had joined their little plotting party and had suggested some pretty interesting things. It was Fandral's idea that they finally all agreed on. "I have another idea! This one will be spectacular!" Fandral said with a growing smirk.

"Swing." Sif said.

"Loki was never been good at physical activities. I say we invite him to a little game that he can't possibly win."

"What would that game be?" Thor asked.

"I don't know yet…" Fandral said.

"That would be more of a get-even sort of thing and not really a prank, but if I still get the chance to beat him, I'm in!" Sif said enthusiastically. "We'll have to watch out for Terezah though…" She added.

Thor and Fandral smiled. "She's the one who told us to do it." Thor said.

Sif grinned. "I guess we're all getting sick of him. What shall these games be?" Sif asked Fandral.

"I was thinking about that… maybe something like… a game?" Fandral said uncertainly.

"I like it!" Thor beamed. "We shall play these games in the woods. That would be most interesting."

"Yes… how about we all hunt Loki down! Of course he'll have to agree or else he'll send Terezah after us. We could give him at least a few minutes and then we hunt him. And Terezah isn't allowed to help him!" Fandral said. At this point, all five friends agreed and started to grow excited.

"We must organize these games though. It can't just be random hunting of Loki, can it?" Volstagg asked.

"That is a good point my friend…" Fandral said. "Perhaps there will be different settings for each part of the games. First it will start in Muspelheim. Only two of us will go after him then. The second place will be in Vanaheim. Another two of us will play the games there. And the last place will be…"

"How about Niflheim?" Sif asked.

They nodded in agreement. Then Hogun the Grim finally spoke up. "What about the last tournament. There would be only one person to play these games with Loki."

Everyone was slightly shocked that Hogun had actually spoken up. "Maybe we could convince Terezah to be on our team." Volstagg said.

"That wouldn't be fair to any of us. She could take us all down." Sif said.

"She is talented… but we are warriors! She would be on our team anyways. Perhaps we could set a limit for her to use her abilities." Fandral suggested.

"I have an even better idea to these games. How about, instead of night-games it is an actual surviving game that lasts about a week. We will be placed in teams of two each. To make it a little more fair for Loki, we should put someone on his team. Terezah could be the game manager, because she is pretty much a level ahead of us and if she were put on a team, that team would be sure to win…." Sif said.

"We shall all start in the same place. First Vanaheim, then Muspelheim, and finally the snow covered regions of Niflheim. When we get to a certain point on each realm, Heimdall will send us to the next realm. We see who will survive the longest. Terezah will make sure nobody cheats... and of course, Heimdall will bring us back if we are in absolute danger… hopefully…" Fandral said.

"I like this idea!" Thor said.

"So, do we all agree?" Sif asked.

"Aye!" All five said.

"Let us begin preparing for these games!" Thor said.

"We will have to ask Terezah if she approves, or if she'll even participate." Volstagg said.

"Leave that to me." Sif said as she left Thor's room.

* * *

It had been a few days since Loki's mysterious illness. Terezah had looked into anyone who might have done it. Any guards he had ever pranked, any people of the court he had ever fooled, she had even gone to Thor to see if that was his prank. He had informed her that they hadn't pranked Loki yet and that he would never do something to hurt his brother like that. She had searched everywhere for traces of Vasa Lirva but found absolutely nothing. It was a dead end.

Thor had come up with a new game where he would throw a small piece of meat at her and she would slice it in midair with one of her daggers, sending it flying back at his plate, cut into two pieces. He seemed to enjoy anything that had to do with weapons. She just laughed at this. It was a chance to show off and impress another member of the royal family. Thor did end up with a lot more meat on his plate than he needed. She loved Asgard. She had friends here. She had family.

"Terezah!" Terezah heard Sif knock on the door to her room. She had been sitting on her bed, polishing her dagger collection. She slid the daggers off her lap, and onto the bed, and went to her door and opened it.

"Can I come in?" Sif asked.

"Sure." Terezah said opening the door wider. Sif came into her room and Terezah shut the door behind her and went back to her bed to start polishing her daggers again.

"What do you need?" Terezah asked as she picked up the dagger she had been working on.

"Thor, the Warriors Three, and I have come up with a way to get even with Loki." Sif informed her.

"What do you have planned?" Terezah said while studying the blade of the dagger.

"We have come up with a survival game. It will start in Vanaheim, then it will go to Muspelheim, and finally it will end in Niflheim. We will be divided into teams of two and we will start in the same place at the same time. When we reach a certain point, we will be transported by Heimdall to the next realm. The first team to complete their course on Niflheim wins." Sif said.

Terezah looked at her wide eyed. "You are doing all this because Loki dyed Thor's cape half green?!" Asgardians were sort of cruel.

"Not just because of that. He has done many other things before you got here. Once he cut my hair off when I was asleep…" Sif trailed off.

"What do I get to do?" Terezah asked, now completely focused on this plan they had come up with.

"You get to make sure nobody cheats." Sif said.

"How do I do that?"

"You make sure that Loki doesn't use his magic, Thor doesn't use his hammer, and none of us have packed away anything that would help us more than the others. Basically, follow all of us."

"If you're all competing, how does this affect Loki?" Terezah asked slightly confused at the point of this game.

"Loki doesn't do this sort of stuff. He isn't very good at physical activities, so he will probably lose." Sif said with a small smile playing on her lips. "So, are you in?" Sif asked.

"This sounds like way too much fun to say no. I'm in on one condition…" Terezah said. She didn't want to just be the person who keeps track of everyone. "I want to be able to set up surprise traps and obstacles along the way." She had a couple of ideas on what to do.

"Sure! We're starting in about a tomorrow morning. I'll let you pack what you want in your own bag, but here is a bag for Loki. We all have to pack the same things so here's a list of stuff. Make sure he doesn't pack anything extra." Sif instructed, and then left the room.

Terezah looked over the list. It read: Maximum of two weapons, one coil of rope, matches, medical kit, pocket knife, and a coat. _Wow… that is really going to help them survive a forest world, a lava world, and a blizzard world. _She looked in the bag Sif had given her to give to Loki. It had three rolled up maps inside, with the course plotted out on it. She looked it over. It would take at least two weeks to complete.

She went to Loki's room to drop the bag off and tell him what was going on.

"Do I have to go?" Loki asked, putting down the book he was reading.

"Yes. No exceptions." She said and threw the bag at him. He caught the bag and opened it.

"Have fun packing. We're leaving tomorrow. I think Sif will come and get us." Loki sighed, irritated.

"Fine."

She went back to her own room. Sif had said she could pack her own bag. She took out the bag she had packed when coming here. She didn't have winter stuff because she had left it all back in Svartalfheim. She would have to make a trip to the market for what she needed. Loki had given her a day off. He was going to be in his room reading all day, and had agreed to let two palace guards remain with him while she was away.

She took her empty bag and slung it over her shoulder. She had stolen a sack of money from Loki… not that he would miss it. And she could trade weapons she conjured. She went to the stables and waited for the stable boy to get her a horse. As she saw the stable boy, she was reminded of her illusions spell she would need to wear in the market. She quickly muttered the spell and watched as her arm shimmered from ash grey to a warm tan color.

The stable boy came back with her horse. He handed her the reins and hurried away. She mounted the horse and started riding towards the market she and Loki had gone to a few months ago. About an hour long ride later she dismounted and paid the same stable people to take care of her horse. She weaved through the crowds of villagers scurrying about, getting stuff they needed. When she and Loki had been here months ago, they had passed many shops. One sold weaponry and battle armor, and had the stuff she would need. She passed a few streets and finally found the shop she was looking for.

She entered the shop and looked around. It was a rather large shop that had barrels containing weapons placed here and there. Various pieces of armor hung on the walls. She went over to a rack that had cloaks. She started looking through them and finally found a thick white one. It would go perfect of Niflheim. She found a normal brown one that would help her on Vanaheim. She could use one of her own black cloaks on Muspelheim. She bought the cloaks and headed towards a rope shop and bought three coils of rope. She moved on past many different stores and bought whatever she thought she would need. She did not intend to make this easy for them. She bought a fire starter, some exploding gas pockets (when a person steps on them they release a sleeping gas), a small hand shovel, a pair of eyeglasses that would enlarge her vision when she looked through them, an animal whistle (when blown, it attracts any animals in the area), a miniature crossbow that shot tiny arrows, and finally a ball of thick twine. She put these things in her bag, which would shrink them to fit more stuff. She went to the food market. She bought some nuts, dried meat, dried fruits, dried fish meat, and a canteen. She could purify water with her magic.

She put all these things in her bag that still had some space in it. She past a potions dealer and decided to see if there was anything that could help her. She found a medium sized bottle of sleeping potion and tucked it into her bag. Since that was all her bag could hold, she headed towards the stables. When she got there, a large man was arguing with the owner of the stables. "I am a royal guard! I will be treated with respect! I demand my horse be taken care of for free!" He shouted at the lady who ran the stables.

"Even Prince Loki pays for his horse when he comes here. You will pay the fee or get out!" She yelled at the man.

"I don't care what that skinny prince does! My horse will be taken into your stall for free!" The guard said. The lady still refused. He unsheathed his sword with rage. The lady stumbled back, frightened. "It's time to learn a lesson old lady!" The guard yelled, and swung the sword towards her.

Terezah remembered her step-father, looming over her with a knife in hand. She remembered as he brought his sword down on her, cutting her shoulder open. The second time, her mother had died. Rage boiled through her and time seemed to slow down. The scene was too similar to that of her mother's death. She rushed in front of the lady and pulled out a dagger from a sheath on her arm, catching the surprised guard's blade mid-air. She twisted the sword out of the guards hand and swung her leg under his legs, and he fell to the ground.

"Respect your elders." Terezah said, glaring down at the guard. He scrambled to his feet.

"And who do you think you are to assault a royal guard?!" He asked furiously.

She dropped the illusion spell, revealing her ash grey skin and silver hair. The guard's eyes widened. "I am Terezah, Dark Elf of Asgard. You have no right to assault this woman." Terezah said, starting to notice a crowd gather around the skirmish.

"You are a Dark Elf!" The guard said and picked up his sword, pointing it at her. "Dark Elves aren't allowed in Asgard!" He yelled.

"They are when they are in service to the House of Odin." She snapped. The guard charged her and she quickly dodged the blade and kicked it out of his hand. "I don't like bullies." She said in a deathly tone.

"You either pay the woman or you leave!" She yelled.

"I'm reporting you!" He yelled as he mounted his horse and bolted off towards the palace. She sighed and realized what she had just done. She looked around at the astonished crowd around her. They started to whisper. She looked back at the old lady. Terezah walked over to her and held out her hand to the old lady. She expected the lady to be afraid of her, to push her hand away and call her a rat like Freya would have done. Instead, the old lady accepted her hand and Terezah pulled her up to her feet.

"Thank you! That guard and his men come to this market and terrorize us, demanding things for free like you just saw." The old lady smiled warmly. Terezah looked around at the crowd and they started to applaud.

"But I am a Dark Elf… do you not hate me?" Terezah asked, puzzled.

"You just saved us! We would be fools to hold the fact that you are a dark elf against you!"

Terezah had never felt like this before. She had always done her works in secret, never receiving any praise. She looked around at the happy, smiling faces of the Asgardians surrounding her. She didn't see fear in their eyes, she saw gratitude and awe. "I have come to get my horse." Terezah said. She didn't find a need to cast the illusion spell on herself as she had now blown her cover.

"Of course!" The old lady said and went back into the stable. The crowd started to dissipate as the old lady brought her horse back out. "As thanks, I will no longer charge you for bringing your horse here. You may leave your horse here for free any time!" The lady said, face aglow.

"That isn't necessary…" Terezah said.

"I know! But I'll have no way of ever repaying you, so this is at least something I can do." The old lady smiled and handed her the reins to her horse.

"Thank you." Terezah said as she took the reins from the old lady.

"No… thank you!" The lady said with a kind smile.

Terezah mounted her horse and started riding back to the palace. She knew she would not get out of this easily. She had saved an innocent civilian, but she had also assaulted a royal guard. She would probably be sent to court. She felt her heart sink as she realized this. The ride back to the palace was a long one. When she started to near the palace gates, she cast her illusion spell. The guards to the gates recognized her and let her in. She left her horse in the stables and hurried to her room. She bumped into Sif on the way there.

"I heard about a dark elf assaulting a royal guard, that wasn't you, was it?" Sif asked looking her straight in the eyes.

"Yes." Terezah sighed.

"What happened?! You know this isn't going to end well!" Sif said frantically.

"The guard attacked an old lady because she refused to take his horse for free into her stables! I had to do something!" Terezah shouted.

"I don't believe a royal guard would do that, especially one of Odin's body guards." Sif said.

Terezah felt the sinking feeling in her stomach grow. "He attacked an old lady! He pulled out his sword and was about to hurt her! I couldn't stand there and watch him do it!" Terezah defended.

"I hope all works out. We will have to postpone our competition if this doesn't go right. I have to go. Good luck." Sif said and kept walking down the hall. Terezah hurried to her room and shut her door. She put her bag onto her bed and sat down.

"I heard what happened." She heard a voice say and she jumped, looking to where the voice had come from. A figure stepped out of the shadows from the corner of her room. Loki frowned at her. "I'm disappointed. Did you really attack a royal guard?" Loki asked angrily. "I was starting to think you weren't here to cause trouble."

"I'm not. The guard pulled a sword out on an old lady and was about to hurt her!"

"I doubt my father will see it that way." Loki said. "Tell me exactly what happened!" He said with more force.

"I was going back to the stables at the market to get my horse, when I saw the stable owner and a guard arguing. The guard wanted her to house his horse for free, but she refused saying that even the princes pay. He pulled out his sword and said she needed to learn a lesson. I interfered. I knocked the sword out of his hand and tripped him. I did nothing more. Maybe I knocked the sword out of his hand again when he charged at me, but that was all!" Terezah said defensively. She was standing now.

"You could be sent back to Svartalfheim for this! Why couldn't you have just let what happened, happen?!" Loki asked, voice getting louder.

"Because… I couldn't!" She said, her voice breaking.

"Because why?!" Loki yelled.

"Because it reminded me too much of my mother's death!" Terezah screamed at him. Loki's expression turned from angry to worry.

"The woman was helpless, just like I was. The man pulled out his sword because he didn't get what he wanted, just like my step-father. I did what my mother would have done. I saved her. Except I didn't die!" Her voice broke and angry tears streamed down her face.

"Is that what happened?" Loki asked. "When your mother died? You never told me the story."

"Do I have to?! It's _my _life! Don't interfere more than you already have!" She couldn't stop the words from coming out. Loki looked a little shocked, then angry.

"Fine! I won't intrude anymore!" Loki hissed and went for the door. Terezah started to panic. She didn't want to lose the only real friend she had. She had no one else. She had no family. She had no other friends.

"Wait!" She said desperately. Loki slowly stopped and turned to look at her. "I'm sorry… I… I just…." She couldn't get the words out, but she couldn't lose him either. "I didn't mean that…" She finished. "I can't help the way I am… nobody has ever cared what my life has been like. I don't know how to talk about it." She stuttered. She sat down on her bed. Loki walked over and sat down next to her.

"You did what was right. I can't blame you for that." Loki said. "I'll talk to my father before a court session is held." Loki muttered.

"Thank you." Terezah whispered.

"_Lokitty!" _They heard Freya's voice call from outside the door. They both heard a knock on the door. "Loki?! Are you in there with that rat?!" Terezah looked over at Loki who nodded his head towards the door. Terezah stood up and went to the door. She looked back to where Loki had been, but he wasn't there anymore. She opened the door.

"Where's Loki?!" Freya asked angrily.

"Not here. Today's my day off. I don't even want to see him today." Terezah said stiffly.

Freya looked over her shoulder. Terezah opened the door all the wall so that she could see the entire room. "Not here. Now go away." Terezah said and slammed the door in Freya's face. Terezah couldn't help but laugh. She looked over at her bed and Loki reappeared.

"That wasn't very nice." Loki said with a grin.

"You apparently find it amusing." Terezah said with her own grin.

"I should probably go. Freya will be searching everywhere for me and I have to talk to my Father." Loki said and walked towards her and the door.

"How did you disappear?" She asked him curiously.

"Invisibility spell. I found it a couple months ago." He said and opened her door, peeking out to make sure Freya was gone. "Please stay out of trouble." Loki said as he left her room. Terezah shut the door after he left and went to sit on her bed. This was going to get interesting.

* * *

**Thank you to the 4 people out of over 100 reading this story who have actually commented! I hope all of you reading this like my story, and I apologize if my plot is a little empty but I promise it will get better. Have fun! :P**


	10. Chapter 10

Loki took a deep breath before entering the throne room. Odin was always disappointed in him no matter what he did. He finally signaled for the guards to open the doors. As the doors open, he walked into the empty room. Frigga was sitting at the right of the throne on which his father sat. The wise old man watched him as he entered the room. "Son. What brings you here?" His mother asked warmly. "I have come to talk to Father about a small incident involving the Dark Elf Terezah."

"I have heard about this." Odin spoke up. "She gave an oath to not cause trouble while here. She attacked a royal guard, breaking this oath. Have you come to defend her?" Odin asked with a scrutinizing eye.

"I have." Loki said carefully. He did not want to anger his father. "She did not attack the guard without a reason. She was protecting a citizen who was assaulted by the guard." Loki said, watching his father, waiting for his judgment.

"Is this the truth?" Odin asked. "Do you know for certain this is true?" Odin asked.

"I know it is true." Loki said respectfully, but with boldness.

Odin sighed. "Do you trust this dark elf?" He asked.

She had saved his life. "I trust her with my life which she has already saved once." Loki replied.

Loki's heart pounded as his father searched his eyes. Odin remained silent for a minute before speaking. "If she acted in defense only, I will not punish her." Loki felt relieved. "But…" He heard his father speak and his heart sunk again. "If she acted at all offensively, she will be sent to the dungeon as punishment." Loki thought about this. She had acted in defense of the old lady. He did not believe she had acted offensively at all.

"There can be no lies told in this situation." Odin said. Loki felt hurt a little that his father didn't trust him.

"I swear she acted only out of defense." Loki replied. He watched as Odin thought this over. He watched the wise old man's solemn face.

"I will not punish her then, if it never happens again." Odin said. Loki sighed in relief.

He bowed to his father and left the throne room, feeling his father's eye study him as he left. He walked down the hall, feeling slightly proud that he was able to convince his father of Terezah's innocence in her actions. A court session would not be held and she would not be sent to the dungeons. He walked towards her room to tell her the news.

"Lokitty! I've been searching everywhere for you! Where have you been?" He heard Freya asked him.

"I was talking to my Father." Loki responded to Freya.

"I thought you were with that rat. She slammed the door in my face!" Freya huffed.

Loki held back a grin. "What do you need?" Loki asked her.

"I heard about the competition thing Prince Thor and his friends came up with. I just came to wish you luck." Freya smiled up at him.

"Thanks. I have to go talk to Terezah." Loki said and continued walking to her room.

"You can't go near her! She attacked a royal guard. I heard from the guard himself!" She said hurriedly.

"She was defending a citizen. The guard pulled a sword on an old lady and Terezah saved her." Loki said. He was almost to her room.

"Is that what the rat told you?!" Freya asked angrily. "Do you really believe that?!"

"As a matter of fact, I do." Loki said. He stopped walking when Freya stepped in front of him and blocked him from going anywhere.

"Lokitty! You can't trust her! She is evil. She is polluting your mind!"

Loki sighed. "She has saved my life from assassins, cared for me when I was poisoned, and she hasn't killed you yet. I owe her my life!" Loki spat.

"What if she's the one behind all these things to make herself look better?" Freya asked angrily.

"She's not." Loki said. He pushed past her and continued walking. He saw her door.

"Just… be careful! Don't trust the rat!" Freya said and turned down a different hall. Loki rolled his eyes. He knocked on Terezah's door and waited. When she didn't open the door he tried the handle. It was locked. He muttered a spell and the lock to the door clicked. He went into her room and she wasn't there. Her bag sat on her bed still. He went over and opened the bag. Inside was a bunch of weapons and supplies, probably for the competition. He was surprised at how much was in the bag and yet it didn't look full from the outside. Must be magic.

"You know… it isn't polite to break into my room and look through my stuff." He jumped as he heard Terezah's voice behind him.

"I was looking for you…" Loki said quickly, turning away from the bag that sat on her bed. He watched as the dark elf neared him. She snatched the bag from behind him and closed the flap to the opening.

"What did your father say?" She asked him, setting the bag on the trunk by her bed.

"You won't be punished." Loki said and watched as she looked relieved.

"Thanks." She said. Loki decided to play with her.

"Is that all I deserve for what I've done for you? A simple word?" Loki asked with a wicked grin.

Terezah rolled her eyes. "How about, 'I've saved your life once and done a lot of other stuff for you so this is one favor you can do for me to try and make it even.'" She said with a growing grin.

"That's a bit long. You would've been sentenced to the dungeons, so it counts as two favors."

"Fine." She said. "It counts as two favors…"

"Come on… is a 'thanks' all I get?" Loki asked again.

Terezah thought about this and he was absolutely shocked as she wrapped her arms around his waist, and embraced him. "Thank you." She said and pulled away. She grinned and left the room, grabbing the bag on her way out. "I'm off to get a couple more things. Bye!" She said as she shut the door behind her and left him standing alone in the room.

He hadn't been expecting her to hug him. He had expected some playful banter. He snapped out of his daze. He still had to get ready for the competition tomorrow, and he still had to tell Sif that Terezah was going to be able to attend.

He left her room and walked around the palace until he found Sif. "The conflict has been settled and Terezah will be able to attend." He said to Sif.

"Awesome!" Sif beamed.

He didn't have anything else to say to her, so he turned to leave. "You won't be able to use your magic in the competition." He heard Sif say to him. He turned back around to face her.

"Why not?!" He asked angrily.

"This is a no-special-abilities competition. Thor can't use his hammer and you can't use your magic." Sif said with a smug grin.

"Why was this never mentioned to me before?" Loki asked irritated.

"I assumed Terezah would have told you. She gave you your bag with the list and maps of the courses… right?" Sif asked.

"Yes."

"Good… well, I have to find Thor and the Warriors Three. Have fun!" She said and walked off in a different direction. Loki was beginning to think this was revenge for all he had ever done to them. None of them were smart enough to give them the idea of coming up with this though… someone had to have told them to do this. He shrugged it off. There was no way he could know for certain who gave them the idea.

He went back to his chambers and started packing the bag, according to the things on the list. Since Terezah was the "game manager" she would probably search through their bags to make sure they didn't bring anything extra. He decided he didn't want to face her wrath, so he only packed what was on the list. His two weapons were Terezah's black dagger he kept with him and a sword. He wasn't very good with swords, but what else could he bring? He wasn't good with any weapons and still hadn't hit the center of a target while throwing daggers.

After he was done packing, he put the bag on his desk and pulled out a book. He sat on a chair by his fireplace and read. He lost track of time, his eyes glued to his book. He turned page after page, promising himself he would stop reading after another chapter. That chapter never came as he kept telling himself this after each chapter he read. Finally, he forced himself to stop reading and put down the book. He stood up from his chair and stretched. He walked out onto his balcony.

He watched the star-filled sky. He must have been reading for hours. A cool breeze tossed his hair around. He looked down at the sparring fields and watched Terezah practicing her archery. Then, he remembered the assassins had gotten in through his balcony. He looked down over the edge and searched for any ways they could have climbed the smooth, golden surface of the palace wall. He then saw two long tears than ran down the wall. He studied them, leaning over the side of the balcony, trying to get the best look at them as he could. He couldn't see them well, so he decided to go outside to look at them. He left his room and went outside. He walked over the sparring fields and looked up at his balcony. He studied the tears that ran down the wall. They stopped a few feet before they hit the ground.

"What are you doing?" He heard Terezah behind him ask. He turned around to look at her. She was sweating and held a bow in his hand.

"I am trying to figure out how those tears got there." Loki responded, pointing to the two tears that ran down the wall.

"Yeah… I may have had something to do with that…" Terezah said.

Loki looked at her and raised his eyebrow. "Explain then."

"When the assassins took you, I ran into your room and you were gone. I cast a spell that would make the assassin's footprints glow and they lead off the side of the balcony and into the forest. I had no time to go around so I jumped off you balcony and used my daggers to slow my fall… sorry…" She said.

"You jumped from all the way up there?!" Loki asked in surprise. His balcony was almost two hundred feet up!

"Yes. I've jumped form higher distances and landed on the ground without slowing myself down. If you know how to fall properly, then you can get away with minimal damage…" She explained.

He looked back up at his balcony. "Wow… you must have been in a hurry to have jumped off my balcony…" Loki muttered.

"A group of assassins abducted you. Of course I was in a hurry!" She replied.

"You're going to teach me some of your tricks, right?" He asked hopefully. Some of her stunts were amazing.

"Don't count on it. Besides throwing daggers." she replied in a bland tone. Loki chuckled at this. She was so secretive about her abilities. He shrugged. "I'm going to go back to my chambers." He said and turned around, and started walking back to the nearest entrance.

"I'll come with you. I'm done for tonight." She said and walked with him back to his chambers. It had been a while since he had eaten. "I'm going to the dining halls. You hungry?" He asked her.

"I already ate dinner. I'm still enjoying my day off, so go without me. Make sure you pour your own drink so you aren't poisoned or something." She said with a grin and started walking towards her room. Loki watched as she disappeared behind the bend until he started walking towards the dining halls. He did as she told him and poured his own drink. After he ate, he started to get tired. Tomorrow was going to be an interesting day with the competition starting and everything so he needed to get some sleep.

As he laid down, he thought about what had happened today. So much could happen in the space of a day. He drifted off to sleep, thinking about what would be taking place tomorrow.

* * *

Loki felt a pillow hit his face. Another. Another. "What do you want?!" He asked Terezah who hit him in the face with the pillow again.

"Time to get up! Time to start the competitions! Time for me to hunt… manage you guys!" Terezah said excitedly. Loki opened his eyes, just in time to be hit in the face with the pillow again.

"Would you stop that?!" He asked her. He was answered by another hit in the face with the pillow. Terezah was laughing wholeheartedly. He quickly pulled the pillow out from under his head and threw it at her. It hit her in the face and she started laughing so hard she almost fell onto the floor.

She threw the pillow at him, but he caught it and threw it back at her. It hit her in the face, which made her laugh even harder. "What's so funny?" He asked irritated

"I…I…." She tried to say something but she kept on laughing. She started rasping for breath and her face started turning a darker grey. She was laughing so hard at this point that she fell onto his bed. He brought another pillow that sat on his bed down on her face. She kept laughing. She started taking deep breaths and finally she quieted herself down. He watched her as she sat up from laying on his bed and looked at him.

"What…." She hit him in the face with another pillow and started laughing again.

"What is so funny?!" He demanded.

"Your… face… was… priceless!" She said between laughs. Loki rolled his eyes. She tried to hit him again but he yanked the pillow out of her grasp, which wasn't that difficult since she was laughing so hard. After about five minutes, she finally stopped laughing.

"Sorry." She said grinning while wiping tears from her eyes. "I couldn't help it. Anyways, It's time to get up. We're leaving for Vanaheim in an hour. Better get ready. We're meeting out in the sparring fields." She said and stood up from his bed. Then out of nowhere, another pillow hit his face. She started laughing again. Her soft laugh had a melodious ring to it.

"Sorry, I couldn't resist." She said and headed for the door. Loki threw a pillow at her when she had her back turned, but she whipped around, grabbing the pillow right before it hit her and flung it back at him, hitting him in the face. She started laughing at the surprised look on his face before finally walking out into the hall, still laughing. She was impossible.

He bathed and got dressed into his armor. He walked out into the hall and saw Terezah waiting for him. She was dressed in all black, but was wearing a brown cloak with her bag slung over her shoulder. "Took you long enough." She said. She smirked and tried not to laugh.

"It really wasn't that funny." Loki said coolly.

"You should have seen your face! It was priceless!" She said and started laughing again. He didn't know how she found it so funny. He rolled his eyes and walked down the hall. She was laughing the whole way. She was still laughing when they met up with the others in the sparring field. They all had a bag the same size as his and looked at him puzzled as Terezah continued laughing. "What is so funny Lady Terezah?" Thor asked.

This made Terezah laugh harder to the point where she was struggling to breathe. "It's not that funny!" Loki snapped.

She calmed down a minute later and looked back at Loki, trying not to crack up. "I'm past it now." She said and her face turned solemn. She was probably the most confusing lady he had ever met.

"Okay, so these are the only rations you will be receiving. The rest of your food you will have to hunt, so I suggest saving these for Muspelheim and Niflheim." Terezah instructed, handing them each a small sack. Loki opened his and looked into it. There were three small loaves of bread. "I have already assigned you into teams. Volstagg, you will be with Sif. Fandral, you will be with Thor. Hogun, you will be with Loki."

Loki looked over at Hogun, who didn't return the look. He looked back at Terezah as she continued. "You all have three maps that have the courses in them. Does anyone not have them?" She asked. They all had them. "I decided what is cheating and what isn't. If I think you are cheating, you will find yourself asleep for two hours, leaving you behind the others. Cheating is: using weapons against other teams, setting traps for other teams, or stealing food or supplies from other teams. Understand?" They all nodded.

"Good. Loki, no magic. Thor, no hammer." She said and looked at each brother. "I will be one of your toughest challenges in this competition. I will _not _do anything too deadly, but beware." She said this with an evil grin, and Loki felt chills sent down his back. "Heimdall has agreed to transport us. Remember his rules. If you put Asgard in danger, he will not open the Bifrost to you. I doubt that will happen though. Any questions?" She gave them two seconds before saying, "Good! Let's go to Vanaheim."

They all mounted their horses and rode to the Bifrost. They all gathered in front of the place where the portal would open. Heimdall spoke, "I will honor my oath to protect this realm as its gatekeeper. If your return threatens the safety of Asgard, the Bifrost will remain closed to you." With this, Heimdall slammed the swords down and the seven of them were pulled into the portal, zipped off to the forests of Vanaheim.

* * *

**Attention! Important News Flash: Eek! Okay... I am in the middle of writing Chapter 11 and I just hit writers block! It feels as if all my creativity just ran away. So, any ideas on what you guys want to see in the upcoming chapters would be great! Seriously... I'll consider ANY suggestions! Please!**


	11. Chapter 11

Terezah was now following Sif and Volstagg. She loved the fact that they didn't even know she were there. She followed silently behind them, hiding behind tree after tree. She watched the ground carefully, so that she didn't step on anything that would make too loud a sound. The forest trees rose high above her head. It was slightly warm, and a cool breeze blew into the forest, rustling the tree's branches. The songs of birds came from everywhere around her.

"I'm so hungry!" Volstagg complained.

"Will you be quiet?!" Sif hissed. "We don't want to give away our position! Terezah could be anywhere!"

"You shouldn't worry about her. The last time she struck was yesterday. She's probably moved on by now." Volstagg said in his usual cheery voice.

"When I told her she could set up some obstacles and traps, I didn't realize she'd be hunting us! I don't want her to find us! Now, be quiet!" Sif whispered angrily.

Terezah tried not to laugh. Then she had a brilliant idea. She climbed the tree she was currently hiding behind. She rummaged through her bag and pulled out her mini crossbow and bottle of sleeping potion. She conjured a tiny arrow, and dipped the tip of it into the sleeping potion. The arrow was too small to kill or cause any real harm. It was only the size of her pointer finger. She loaded it onto the crossbow and aimed for Volstagg. She hit the trigger and the arrow lodged itself into his fat upper arm.

"Ow!" Volstagg yelped and looked at his arm. "I don't think being stealthy would help us anymore. It appears she has already found us." Volstagg said. Sif looked at his arm and her eyes widened. Terezah launched another sleep dart and leapt silently onto the next tree. Sif had her back to Volstagg and was looking around in a panic. Terezah aimed the arrow at her and let it fly. The arrow hit Sif in the arm, but was blocked by her metal armor. Terezah fired another one, but Sif had found her relative location and was able to dodge it.

Volstagg now laid on the ground mumbling nonsense about food. It was quite amusing to watch. Terezah decided that was enough fun for them. She slid down from the tree she was on, gently landing on the ground. Sif didn't notice her. Terezah quickly sprinted away from them. She stopped after about five minutes of running to make sure she was out of sight. She pulled out the Vanaheim map and looked at the courses mapped out on them. She found Loki and Hogun's path that they would be following and began sprinting towards where they would be.

She stopped sprinting after about a half hour to catch her breath. She was about to pull the map out again, when she noticed some footprints in the dirt at her feet. They were definitely Loki's. Terezah grinned. Loki really didn't know how to cover his footprints. They were headed north. She followed the path until she finally saw them. She watched as Hogun bent down and placed his hand on the ground, brushing away some leaves to reveal one of the gas pockets she had set up along their route.

"Watch out for gas pockets. Terezah has anticipated our route already." Terezah grinned at this.

"She is an assassin. Of course she's anticipated our every move! She could be anywhere by now." Loki said a little irritated. She watched as Loki followed closely behind Hogun, while Hogun found all her gas pockets and they passed them safely. She waited until they were far enough away to jump down from her tree. She picked up the gas pockets and put them in her bag, not wanting to waste them. She caught up with Hogun and Loki.

"It looks like we are clear of the gas pockets." Hogun said.

"Great." Loki said sarcastically.

She climbed a tree and was now a little bit ahead of them. She took out one of the gas pockets and threw it in between them. It exploded on impact with the ground and the white gas quickly filled the air around them. They both started coughing. By the time the gas cloud had dissipated, both lay on the ground unconscious. This was too easy. She had taken out three people in the last hour!

She jumped down from the tree and landed quietly on her feet. She carefully approached the sleeping men. She smirked as an idea came to her. "Obstacle time boys." She said to them.

She dragged them so they were both sitting back to back. She took their weapons and put them in a pile to the side of them so they wouldn't be able to use them. She pulled out her twine and started wrapping it around their wrists, tying them together. She wrapped the twine around their waists and feet. She took a step back and examined her work. It would take them a while to get out of that. She giggled at the thought of them waking up and realizing what she had done. She almost wanted to stick around and watch them, but they would be out for another hour or so, and she had to find Thor and Fandral.

She pulled out her map and looked at where Thor and Fandral's trail would be. She folded the map and put it back in her bag. Still, there was something missing. She thought for a minute before realizing they needed a taunt. She conjured a dagger that said "Losers" written on the blade. She laid the dagger on the ground by their other weapons, but made sure they would be able to see the message on the blade. Finally feeling satisfied, she bolted off in the direction of Thor's group, ready to attack.

* * *

Loki felt himself sink to the ground as the gas filled his lungs. His eyelids began to feel heavy and his body felt weak. He heard Hogun collapse by him and he finally gave in and fell to the ground as well.

His eyes fluttered open and the first thing he noticed was that he was sitting back to back with Hogun, tied to him. "Terezah… I am going to kill you when this is over…" He muttered to himself.

"Hogun?" He asked.

"Hmm… yeah?" Loki heard Hogun's drowsy voice. "What happened?" He heard Hogun ask, becoming more awake.

"Terezah through one of those gas pockets at us and we fell asleep." Loki replied.

"Great." Hogun said, realizing their situation as well. "Where are our weapons?" Hogun asked.

They both looked around until they saw the pile of them at the base of the nearest tree. Laying on top of the pile was a dagger that said something. "Loser." Loki read out loud. He sighed angrily. Why was she so good at this? How many times had she done stuff like this? Seeing the dagger made him remember the dagger in his boot. He felt around in his boot, and sure enough it was still there.

"I have a dagger in my boot. If we could get it out we could cut ourselves free." Loki told Hogun.

"Good idea. How are you going to get it out? Your feet are tied together as mine are." Hogun said.

"I might be able to raise my feet enough so that is can fall out." Loki said. The weapons in the pile were too far away to try and reach, so this was their only option. Loki leaned back on Hogun and raised his feet in the air, trying to shake the dagger out. The dagger slipped out only a little. He set his feet back down to regain his strength and tried at least four more times before the dagger finally fell out and landed on the ground.

"We're going to have to turn so that one of us can reach it." Hogun said.

They worked their way around until finally, Loki was able to reach the dagger. He picked it up and started sawing at the twine. After ten minutes, the string around their hands was cut free. Loki cut the twine around their waists and his feet, then handed the dagger to Hogun who cut his feet free. They stood up and stretched. It had taken them about a half hour to get out of the little situation Terezah had put them in. They retrieved their weapons and supply bags and started walking again. Loki held the dagger that said "Loser" on it. He studied it, turning it over in his hand. It said "Loser" on both sides.

They watched the ground carefully and listened for any signs of Terezah following them. They continued on their path for another three hours. The sun began to set and the sky started to darken. The birds started to quiet down around them. Loki was starving. They hadn't caught anything since this morning. They were saving their bread for Muspelheim and Niflheim where there would be no creatures to hunt. They had been on Vanaheim for three days now and were nearing the end of the course.

Hogun had brought a sword and a crossbow. He aimed the crossbow at a fish that swam in the stream they were by. He pulled the trigger and the arrow shot at the fish, pinning it to the floor of the stream. Hogun retrieved the fish and caught another one. He tried to catch a third fish but it slipped away. They waited by the stream for almost another hour and no fish came. Hogun lit a small fire, cooking both the fish. Loki sat by the fire, wishing he had never agreed to come on this stupid trip. They both ate their fish and Hogun put out the fire, not wanting Terezah to see smoke and know where they were.

Loki was sore from sleeping on the ground for the past two nights, so as he laid down he tried to get in the most comfortable position he could. He thought of how she hunted them. She seemed to enjoy it. Yesterday she had shot them with a bunch of miniature arrows. He had many cuts and bruises from other encounters with her. She was getting a little creepy. No matter what they did, she always managed to find them. They heard screams coming from the direction of other teams. Was she killing them off? He hadn't seen any of the others since they had parted ways at the starting line. Maybe Freya had been right about her. He shook these thoughts out of his head. Terezah was his friend. His crazy, troubled, confusing, bipolar, shifty, strange friend. She would never do anything to hurt them too much. He still did worry about what she would do to them tomorrow. He tossed and turned for almost an hour before finally falling asleep.

* * *

Terezah loved the surprised face Thor had made when they set off her trap. They had fallen over her trip wire and were quickly yanked up and hung between two trees by their feet. Thor had yelled that it was unfair. That made it all the more hilarious. Asgardians were so fun to prank. It was dark now and the forest was silent. She was right by Loki and Hogun's camp sight. She climbed a tree and secured herself to the huge branch she was sitting on. She watched Loki as he fell asleep. While her job was to make obstacles and traps in the games, she still had a responsibility to protect Loki. She fell asleep, holding the dagger that was usually under her pillow.

"_Mom? Are you okay?" Nine year old Terezah asked her mother. Her mother laid in her bed, pale and bruised. She had welts on her face and her hair was unhealthy and scraggly looking. Her mother's once life-filled eyes shifted towards her small face. "I'm fine my darling." she coughed weakly. Terezah pulled herself up onto her mother's bed and slid under the covers next to her. Her mother was cold. Her mother wrapped her arms around the small child that had curled up next to her. "Mom? Can't we run away?" Terezah asked. "No child. It would only anger him more." Her mother said. Her mother had taken yet another beating for protecting her. Terezah curled closer to her mother. She was so cold and pale. Her mother's lips pulled into a faint smile and she pressed her lips to Terezah's forehead. Tears slid down her face. "I'm so sorry. I made a mistake by marrying this horrid man." Her mother said, voice cracking. Terezah felt her own eyes start to fill with tears. "It's not your fault mom. You didn't know he was this way." She whispered quietly. "You are only a small child and yet you talk as if you were an adult." Her mother said, staring lovingly into her daughter's eyes. "I'm sorry…" Her mother whispered before she fell asleep. "I'm so sorry…"_

Terezah woke up with tears streaming down her face. There was a lump in her throat. Her breath was shaky as she took in a deep breath of the night air. "Terezah? Is that you up there?" She heard Loki ask.

"Uh… yeah." She said, wiping away tears.

"I didn't know you were there." Loki stated.

"Great… I just gave away my position and woke you up!" She said getting frustrated.

"It's fine." Loki said shrugging his shoulders. He was standing at the base of her tree. Hogun was somehow still asleep, and it appeared to be the middle of the night. "Did you have another nightmare?" Loki asked concerned.

Terezah hated admitting her feelings, but it was hard to lie to the God of Mischief. "Yes." She said frankly, trying not to let too much emotion into the conversation.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Loki asked skeptically.

"No." She said a little too quickly.

"Come down here." Loki said. Terezah sighed. Should she go down there and talk to him? She looked down at him. He was staring up at her expectantly. He looked absolutely exhausted.

"You should get some sleep. You look tired." She told Loki.

"I won't be able to sleep with you having so many nightmares. Come down and talk about it. You slept much better the last time." Loki said, folding his arms.

"Fine…" She said and slid off of her perch. She landed gracefully on the ground and sat at the base of the tree. Loki sat next to her and watched her expectantly again. She looked at Hogun, who was still fast asleep. She didn't want anyone else to here this conversation. She sighed and started. "It was about my mother. She had taken another beating for protecting me. It was about a couple months before she died…. I uh…" Her eyes started to brim with new tears. She tried harder to swallow the lump in her throat.

"How did your mother die?" Loki asked.

Terezah was slightly surprised that he had asked that. "My… My stepfather got mad at me and… chased me down with a knife. I uh… couldn't outrun him and tripped. He brought the knife down on my shoulder… that's where my scar came from… then he was about to bring it down on me again… when..." She couldn't continue. Her voice broke and more and more tears poured down her face.

* * *

Loki listened to her story as her voice broke. "You don't have to continue…" He said. She almost looked like she couldn't continue. Her golden eyes were filled with despair. He couldn't imagine losing his mother that way. He thought about his mother. She had always been there for him. She had always comforted him or helped him through a situation. Terezah had missed out on that, and even worse her mother had been murdered in front of her eyes. What kind of a monster would do that? He watched Terezah as tears ran down her ash grey cheeks. He thought back to earlier that day when she had tied him up next to Hogun. He wasn't too angry at her now. Still, he was confused at how her personality changed so quickly.

They were both leaning on the tree. She rested her head on his shoulder. He didn't know what to think at first. Sure, it was just her leaning her head on him, but the way it felt so natural bothered him. He put an arm around her. After almost an hour, she had stopped shaking. He looked down at her, to see she was asleep. He was stuck there and didn't want to wake her. His eyelids started to become heavier. He tried to keep himself awake but couldn't. Finally, he closed his eyes and the world turned dark.

His eyes fluttered open. It was almost morning. The sky was turning a light purple, which meant he and Hogun would have to get going. He remembered what had happened last night. He looked at the dark elf who he had his arm around. She was curled up in a ball, resting her head on his shoulder. He gently moved the arm that had been wrapped around her away. She stirred a little and then her golden eyes opened. She raised her head and looked up at him, stretching.

"I better get going." She said as she stood up. Loki stretched and then stood up as well. Terezah started climbing the tree and he watched her as she got her bag and slung it over her shoulder. She then leapt to a different tree. He watched her until she disappeared from sight. He turned to look at Hogun who was just waking up.

"We should get a move on." Hogun said. They ate a small meal of more fish and started walking again. Loki's feet were sore from all the walking and his back ached from sleeping against the tree. They started heading up another hill, the dense forest surrounding them. They would probably get to the checkpoint at about noon. Loki sighed as he looked at the thousands of trees and large boulders that stretched along the horizon in front of them. Another long day of "surviving" was ahead of him. Another day of Terezah hunting them.

* * *

**Thanks for the comments! :) keep em' coming! I appreciate all the compliments. I have quite a bit more to add to this story, so don't worry... it won't end for a little while. Thank you all for reading my story and enjoy! **


	12. Chapter 12

They had been on Muspelheim for three days now and Terezah was getting sick of seeing so many lava fields. It was constantly hot, and ash filled the air. _What idiot picked Muspelheim?!_ She thought to herself as she covered her mouth and nose with a cloth while going through another cloud of ash. The ground was black and flames erupted everywhere around her. She was taking the low road to try and ambush Thor and Fandral. She was out of gas pockets and her twine. She should've used her animal whistle thing on Vanaheim. Maybe it would come in handy some other time. She had also traded her brown cloak out for her black one when she came to Muspelheim.

She heard Fandral and Thor talking above her. She couldn't tell what they were saying. The lava below her hissed and bubbled. She looked over the edge of the small crevice she was walking along. As her path started going up, it was evident she was going to run into Thor and Fandral. With her crossbow in hand, she took one of the pre-dipped sleep arrows off of her belt and loaded it. It clicked into position, and she waited until Thor and Fandral had passed her to jump up onto their path and follow silently behind them.

She aimed the crossbow at Thor's leg and was about to fire when lava exploded far behind them, lighting up the path just enough to cast her shadow. Thor whipped around, sword in hand. Fandral didn't catch on so soon, so Terezah fired the arrow at him. Thor charged her. She quickly pulled out a dagger and met his blade. His shear force knocked her to the ground. He had gotten a lot better since the last time they had dueled. She dove to the side as Thor brought his sword down on her position. She kicked her leg under his and he stumbled back. She grabbed a sleep-arrow from her belt and stabbed it into Thor's arm. Thor pulled the arrow out of his arm and tossed it aside. Terezah glanced at Fandral who was asleep on the ground now.

Thor charged her again, becoming drowsier. She kicked the sword out of his hand and grabbed his arm, swinging his body over her shoulder. He landed on his back and his eyes started to close. Satisfied, Terezah pulled out her map and estimated where Sif and Volstagg would be. She calculated the distance and took off into a sprint, leaving the sleeping Thor and Fandral behind her.

It took her about an hour to find them, but eventually she did. They were farther away from the lava fields and it was a lot darker. High walls of rock were on either side of the path they were walking on, casting large dark shadows. This gave her an idea. She decided to play a game. She hid in the shadows as Sif and Volstagg passed her. Then, she let out a maniacal laugh. Her laugh rang through the dark path, startling the team. They frantically looked around, back to back. Both had their weapons drawn. She laughed again and bolted through the shadows to a new location. They looked at the spot where she had been. She cackled again and moved through the shadows. _They don't call me Shadow Warrior for nothing… sometimes they called me Shadow Witch…_

"Well, well…" She said in an eerie tone. Sif and Volstagg were still looking around to try and find her. "It looks like I've caught myself some warriors." She said. She followed it with another creepy laugh.

"Come out Terezah!" Sif yelled. Terezah flipped her black hood up, casting a shadow over her face. Her golden eyes glowed under the hood. She stepped out of the shadows and stood in front of them. They looked genuinely disturbed. She let out a low chuckle.

"Poor little warriors... Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide…" She said with another maniacal laugh.

"You're getting a little creepy…" Volstagg said in a shaky tone.

"They don't call me the Shadow Warrior for nothing…" She hissed and lunged at them. She glided across the path towards them like a dark spirit. Sif and Volstagg broke apart and dodged her attack. She pulled out her daggers and threw them at Sif, pinning her armor to the rock wall. She tried frantically to free herself of the dagger, but Terezah pulled out one of her sleeping arrows and scratched it across her cheek. She quickly put the arrow back on her belt and dodged Volstagg's axe. She sank into the shadows again. Leaving Volstagg with a sleeping Sif who was pinned to the rock wall.

One of the rules of the game was that a team had to stay together. Volstagg would have to wait with her until she woke. Terezah climbed the part of the rock wall that was immersed in darkness and stood at the top of it, watching Volstagg yank the dagger out of the wall. Terezah turned her back to them and walked away from the edge. Volstagg and Sif were no longer in sight.

She pulled some dried meat and vegetables out of her bag and ate them. It was evening, but the lava fields lit up the night. She put the food away and took out her map. She had to find Loki and Hogun. She put her map away and started off in their direction. When she finally found them, they had already set up camp. They were in a place like Sif and Volstagg, with rock walls on either side. She slumped against the rock wall and took out her brown cloak and rested her head on it. She was in the shadows, so it would be hard to see her. Loki and Hogun were already asleep. Loki had been right about her nightmares. The more she talked about it, the less often they occurred. It didn't mean that she would be going to him every time she had a nightmare, though.

She was absolutely exhausted from running around all day. Her eyelids started to feel heavier. She felt herself start to slip away. She closed her drooping eyelids and fell asleep, dagger in hand.

* * *

Loki woke up to Hogun shaking him. It was morning, even though the sky was still dark. Loki sat up and stretched. He couldn't wait to sleep on his nice warm bed once he got home. They only had Niflheim left, but it would be the hardest one. They would be going through one of its giant frozen forests. Bitter cold, it was filled with many different monsters. He wasn't worried about Terezah hunting them as much as the giant ice wolves that would be hunting them.

They ate some bread for breakfast and continued to walk. Yesterday, Terezah had stolen some of their weapons, and they had found lumps of twisted metal that had been stuck into the lava. He didn't have the sword he brought and Hogun didn't have his crossbow. She had knocked them both out with sleeping darts. He had been stuck in the arm or leg with a sleeping arrow so many times he would be scarred. He almost wondered if they were the only efficient weapons she had left. He hadn't actually seen her since their talk on Vanaheim.

They were walking along the path when Loki heard the now familiar ping of Terezah's crossbow. Hogun pulled an arrow out of his arm and collapsed to his knees. Loki looked around for Terezah. He decided to try something. He had been working on his illusion spells lately. He made ten more of him appear around him, and they all did the exact same things he did. An arrows whisked through one of his illusions, giving away her position. He watched her small shadow slinking against the rock wall. _That's why they call her the Shadow Warrior. _Terezah was almost impossible to see, and it took heavy concentration to keep track of her. He saw the tip of her crossbow poke out of the shadow she was hiding in. He took the blade she had left on Vanaheim that said "Loser" on it.

He concentrated, remembering all that she had taught him about dagger throwing. He took a deep breath and twisted around, letting the dagger fly. Ten other illusion daggers around him flew as well, but he watched as his dagger hit the crossbow, breaking it. Terezah threw it to the ground, finding no more use in it, and charged out of the shadows. She moved in a flash. She pulled out her daggers and he watched as she sprinted gracefully through the illusions straight towards him.

He stumbled backwards as she slid her leg under his, tripping him. The illusion around him disappeared and only he was left. "You just made this a lot harder for me, Lokitty." She said. She pressed the warm blade to his throat. He looked up into her golden eyes, and for a moment he saw complete madness. It disappeared just as quickly as it had come, but it made him uneasy. "You did just hit your first target though. Good job." She said and pulled her dagger away from his throat and sheathed it. She held a hand out to him and he took it. She helped pull him back to his feet. "You did ruin my crossbow though…"

"I'm sure you'll manage." he replied.

"Yeah… probably." She said. Something sharp dug into his arm and he looked at it. One of Terezah's small black sleep arrows was lodged in his arm.

"Another lesson… stay focused no matter what during a fight. I just distracted you." She said. His vision started to blur and he felt light headed. He sunk to his feet and felt his chest collapse to the ground. His world turned black, and the last thing he saw was Terezah looking down on him. The Shadow Warrior strikes again.

* * *

Freya watched as Terezah gave them instructions about how the games would go. The rat was really getting in her way now. She had poisoned Loki to teach him a lesson, and Terezah had sat by him the whole time like his mother. She had been planning on doing what Terezah had done, but when she was about to enter, the rat had stolen her idea.

As she watched them mount their horses, her heart pounded at seeing Loki twist gracefully up to his saddle. He was so handsome. She watched her prince ride off to the Bifrost with his friends and the rat. The rat had gotten better at her charade in the last few months. It almost seemed as if whatever she did to make the rat and Loki more distant just made them closer.

_I have known Loki for centuries and she's only known him for a year! She thinks she can just waltz in and take him from me?! She is so wrong! _Freya thought as she stormed back to her chambers. Terezah was going to pay. This wasn't the first time she had to fight off a woman trying to take Loki away from her. The last person was Lady Eostre, Goddess of Spring. She had tried getting close to Loki, so she had taken the matters into her own hands. Eostre had disappeared and had never been seen again. Now it was Terezah's turn.

Freya knew she couldn't kill Terezah as easily as she had killed Eostre, but she could manage. Many had forgotten that she was also the Goddess of Battle. She knew a few tricks. She always left out the Battle part of her title because it sounded too long and turned away men. She had been trying to plot Terezah's demise since she had first seen her. She had hired assassins to kill her, using Loki as bait, but Terezah had beaten them all. She had to take matters into her own hands, but Terezah still lived. It was frustrating how much Terezah could withstand.

She had even put a curse on her that would feed on her biggest fears, sapping away her strength. It had worked for about a month until it was broken somehow. She had tried so many things to get rid of Terezah, but nothing worked! She now paced back and forth in her room, trying to think up another plan. An idea popped into her head.

She quickly left her room and went to Terezah's room. She asked a cleaning maid to unlock the door, and she broke into the room with no problem. She rummaged around. It wasn't hard to find weapons, but she was looking for her daggers. She opened the old wooden trunk by her bed and grinned as she found at least twenty daggers. She also found poisons, potions, and magic books. She took out a dagger and a vial of poison. She recognized the poison immediately. She had read about the poison, but had never seen it. It originated from Svartalfheim. Perfect.

She let a single drop run down the blade, drying on the surface. It would be enough to kill someone. She put the vial back and wrapped the blade in a cloth she had brought with her. She didn't want to accidentally cut herself. She made sure everything was in the exact same place before closing the trunk and leaving the room, locking the door behind her. She smiled as the plan became more and more elaborate. All she had to do was wait for the opportune moment to strike. _Now, you will pay…_ She thought to herself as she walked back to her room. _Loki is mine. _

* * *

Terezah tried to repair her crossbow. It was a useless effort. She was actually proud of Loki for hitting his first target, but at the same time she was angry at him for destroying one of her key weapons. She chucked the crossbow into the lava and watched it erupt into flames, sinking until it was no longer there. She stood up and brushed the ash off her clothes. She still felt slightly guilty for tricking Loki like that. He had looked completely shocked she had stabbed him with a sleeping arrow. She picked up her bag and shoved the remains of her lunch into her bag.

She began walking up the slope, away from the lava field. She now had only one coil of rope, her looking glasses, a hand shovel, an animal whistle, a fire starter, her three different colored cloaks, half a bottle of sleeping potion, and a third of the food she had bought at the market plus a loaf of bread. She was running low on supplies. They were almost to the checkpoint where they would be transported to Niflheim.

She tried to attack the three groups at least once a day. She had already done Loki and Hogun. Now she had to do the other two groups. She was getting sick of this adventure. It was the same thing every day. Maybe she could convince them all to skip Niflheim. She knew right off that Thor, Sif, and Hogun would immediately disagree. They were all stubborn enough to keep going, and would want to see through to the end. She pulled out her map and studied it, calculating where Thor and Fandral would be. She trudged up the ash covered hill and started sprinting once she reached more rocky terrain. At least she was getting a lot of exercise.

When she found Thor and Fandral's path, she looked for signs of them having already walked there. She couldn't find anything. She looked around, confused. Usually she was always right behind them, never ahead. She started to walk back on the trail. Then she felt something hit her head. She fell to the ground, blackness filling her vision. She heard the distant voices of Thor, Fandral, Sif, and Volstagg, boasting at their success. She felt dread at the thought of what the might do to her in revenge. Finally, she lost consciousness and slipped into a deep sleep.

* * *

Her eyes fluttered open and the first thing she noticed was how hot it was. Sweat dripped down her face and back. She looked around to get a feel for her situation. Her supplies were gone and so was the black cloak she was wearing. She had cast a spell on the cloak to keep the heat away, and now that it was gone, she was left unprotected. Her hands and feet were bound with her own rope and her food was scattered everywhere. Her heart sunk as she realized that every single dagger that she had was missing. She tried to get out of the binds that were wrapped tightly around her, but she couldn't. She was rather close to the edge of a lava bank. It was boiling hot.

She edged away from the lava, until she was at a safer distance. She looked around for any sign of her supplies. There was nothing. She conjured a dagger and cut herself free. They must not have known she could conjure weapons. She stood up and stretched. The stars were out, which meant she had been unconscious for many hours. She searched for about an hour before finding her bag. It still had her cloaks, shovel, maps, and animal whistle, but the rest were gone. Frustrated, she put her black cloak on and slung her bag over her shoulder. She was out of food in a place where there was none.

She took out a map and looked it over. Since it was later, they would most likely be in Niflheim. She sighed frustrated and put the map back in her bag. She started sprinting in the direction of Loki and Hogun's path since they had been the only two that hadn't ambushed her. After another two hours, she finally found Loki's footprints in an ash field. She followed them and they eventually lead her to the checkpoint. There was an imprint of the Bifrost in the ground. She traded her black cloak out for her white one. It had a spell placed on it to keep the warmth in. She called out to Heimdall to send her to Niflheim. She waited for a couple seconds before energy enveloped her and she felt herself lift off the ground. Colors shot past her and eventually her feet sank into the ground once more.

It was instantly colder and took a minute for her to adjust to the new temperature. There were footprints that lead into three different directions. The footprints appeared to be about a four to five hours old. She was way behind. She took out her Niflheim map and compared them to the tracks in front of her. Thor and Fandral had gone left, Sif and Volstagg had gone in the middle, and Loki and Hogun had gone to the right. She folded the map back up and put it in her bag. She was more used to the cold and Svartalfheim was cold and dark most of the year.

She bolted off in the direction of Loki and Hogun. It was almost nightfall here and she had to protect Loki during the night. She sprinted as fast as she could through the snow. While the snow would help her find the teams a lot faster, it would also give away her position. The bitter cold nipped at her long pointed ears. She flipped her white hood up, covering her cold ears. She continued running in the direction the footprints lead. She had to catch up.

* * *

**Okay... Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter :) as you can see, Freya is getting a little bit creepier. I actually Googled her and found out she was the Goddess of Love, Beauty, and Battle. That kinda surprised me, but I decided to add it in there so... yeah :D Thanks for the comments. Those of you who haven't commented, please take 30 SECONDS and comment already! Lol... Anyways, keep reading! I won't be posting any new chapters for at least two to three more weeks. I have to get caught up in school, so hang in there!**


	13. Chapter 13

**I know! I know! I said I wasn't going to post new chapter for a while, but I was in the middle of this one and I just couldn't help myself! Writing is very addictive! So, I hope you enjoy reading. Please leave a comment (it's not that hard! It takes 30 SECONDS!) :D Have fun reading!**

* * *

Loki watched the dark, huge snow clouds that covered the sky drift lazily with the wind. Hogun didn't disagree when he wanted to keep the fire going. Terezah would be hours behind them. Thor and Fandral had wanted to get her for once, so Sif and Volstagg had joined them. Hogun wanted to use this opportunity to get farther ahead of the other groups.

Loki felt bad for Terezah, but at the same time she deserved it. He didn't know if he could trust her that much anymore. It wasn't the fact that she had stabbed him when he thought she was being nice to him, but the mad glint he had seen in her eyes. He was temporarily afraid she would actually kill him. In her eyes, he had been the prey. She had a horrible childhood, and it looked as if it was beginning to take a mental toll. She was slowly losing it. He had never seen that look before, but she came close to cracking when she had him pinned to the ground with a knife at his throat.

He held the black dagger in his hands and ran his finger gently over the blade. It was sharp and deadly, yet it was beautiful. It was pure black and fit perfectly balanced in his hand. He turned it over in his hand. He stared at it as he thought about Terezah. She was like the dagger; perfectly balanced, sharp, deadly, yet beautiful. If you added the tiniest bit of weight to one side, it would tip and fall. His thoughts were interrupted by Hogun. He had become better friends with him, being stuck on this brutal survival mission. "You have been staring at that dagger for a long time."

Loki looked up at Hogun. "Yes… it's intriguing." He said casually.

"It is a very fine weapon. Where did you get it?" Hogun asked.

"I found it." Loki said. He was the God of Mischief. He wasn't going to tell Hogun of all people that he was concerned for Terezah's sanity.

"It is a fine weapon. May I see it?" Hogun asked.

Loki handed the dagger to Hogun who looked it over. "Perfect for throwing. It looks a lot like your guard's daggers." Hogun said and handed the dagger back to him.

"Yes… she made it for me to use in self-defense after I was abducted by those assassins." Loki lied expertly.

"Have you not heard the rumors?" Hogun asked.

Loki raised an eyebrow. "What rumors?" He asked cautiously.

"The ones about Terezah letting them into the palace… to make her look like a hero." Hogun replied.

Loki hadn't heard the rumors. He wouldn't believe them even if he had heard them. He was positive it wasn't Terezah who had lead the assassins into Asgard. He had been the only one to see her mourn the death of her friend. Terezah was a friend and he trusted her. "Not all rumors are true." Loki replied coldly.

"Maybe not, but you should consider looking into who hired them." Hogun said and then turned silent. Loki had gotten him to say more than a sentence, which was rare for Hogun the Grim. The conversation did get him thinking. Who had lead the assassins into Asgard? Nobody gets past Heimdall and yet four Dark Elf assassins somehow slipped his watch. Could Terezah have been at fault? The more he thought about it, the more sense it made. He would just have to trust her.

* * *

Terezah hadn't stopped moving for hours. She hadn't been able to run more than a half hour, and the tracks in the snow were starting to disappear as more snow fell from the sky. She saw smoke rising from the forest ahead of her. She started jogging, trying to reach the smoke. Smoke in the icy woods here meant people were there trying to keep warm. Her fingers were going numb and so was her nose, but the rest of her was quite warm, thanks to her white cloak.

After another hour of running and jogging, she finally saw the flames of the small fire. Loki and Hogun were sleeping on either side of it. She stopped to catch her breath. She was absolutely exhausted. Dragging her feet, she went and sat next to a tree, leaning on it. The snow didn't fall as heavily near the base of the tree. She wrapped her thick white cloak tightly around her. She quickly fell into a sound sleep, clutching a dagger in her hands.

White light filled her eyes as she opened them. It took a minute to remember where she was. She sat up and looked at where Loki and Hogun had been. The fire had been put out and they were gone. She groaned as irritation started to fill her. She quickly sat up and started running, following their tracks in the snow. They couldn't be more than an hour old. Running on an empty stomach was hard. She tried to settle her stomach down, but couldn't. She hadn't eaten since noon yesterday. She had at least had some food left and now she had none. She would probably have to hunt.

She remembered her animal whistle, but it would attract more than just a manageable dear. She had tamed ice wolves before, but it had been a long time since she had done that. She had learned many things from being the Queen's personal assassin. She thought about the time she had tamed ice wolves. She tried to remember how it was done. It had to be done with perfection or you would end up their meal instead of their friend. She knew the spell used to be able to communicate with them, but it was a ritual that had to be done with exactness. She shook these thoughts from her head. It would be took much trouble to use the animal whistle.

She wished she at least had her bow. "Ugh!" She said out loud. "I'm so stupid!" She felt angry at herself. She took the shape-shifting staff she had gotten at the market out of her belt pouch. She had completely forgotten about it. She tapped her magic into the staff's, her thoughts connecting with the staff's. The runes started to glow and it got larger, and turned into a bow. A black bow with glowing runes that were now fading. She grinned. She conjured an arrow and nocked it. She let it fly and it sunk into a tree, exactly in the center. This bow was nicer than her usual one.

She slung the bow over her shoulder and continued following Loki and Hogun's tracks. She finally caught up with them. They had stopped to eat a little bread. Terezah decided she didn't want to follow them secretly. She had lost track of the other two teams and didn't have any food, and they didn't have many weapons because she had destroyed most of them. "Loki! Wait!" She shouted. Loki jumped and turned around, completely surprised to see her. He pulled out his dagger from his boot and Hogun pulled out his sword.

"I won't hurt you guys." She said carefully. "I lost track of the other teams anyways, and here it's safety in numbers. Can I join you guys?" She asked hopefully.

"Why should we trust you?" Loki asked, eyes narrowing.

She paused for a second. She hadn't thought up any ideas on why she should join them. She silently cursed herself for not having a good excuse. "I can… help you guys?" She tried.

"Yeah… just like you helped me the last time we met." Loki scoffed.

Terezah's heart sunk. He looked into Loki's eyes and realized he had lost his trust in her. She didn't know what to say. She stuttered. She couldn't grasp any words. This had been a bad idea. "Fine." She said simply and turned on her heel.

"We could use someone with her skills." She heard Hogun say. Her heart started to smile.

"Fine!" He said. "Wait…" Loki called out to her. She turned around and looked at him. "You can stay with us… if you betray us, next time it won't be so easy to get on a team." Loki threatened.

_He needs to work on his threatening skills… _She thought to herself. "Thanks." She said with a smug grin. Loki glared at her. Her heart sunk slightly when he looked at her with disapproving eyes. She caught up with Loki and walked by him.

"I'm staying focused this time." Loki said sharply.

"Okay…" She muttered.

After a while, Loki broke the silence. "What did they do to you?" He asked.

Terezah was slightly surprised at his question. There had been so many people who had done so many different things to her. "Which situation are you talking about?" She asked skeptically.

"Thor and his friends teamed up to take you down. What did they do?" He asked a little annoyed.

"Oh… they knocked me out, tied me up, placed me next to a lava bank, hid my supplies, destroyed all my daggers, ruined all my food, and used my last coil of rope" She said frankly. Loki's eyes widened slightly.

"Then why do you still have a bow if they destroyed all your weapons?" He asked.

"This," She said taking the bow off her shoulder, "Is the staff I traded for when we went to the market that one day." She said. She pulsed her magic into the staff, the runes started to glow, and it changed into the tall black staff.

"Impressive." Loki said stiffly without looking at her.

Terezah sighed. "I was just trying to teach you a lesson." She muttered.

"You didn't need to betray me though! I trusted you!" Loki hissed.

"I learned the hard way to always stay focused!" She replied angrily.

* * *

"_Tyron!" Terezah said excitedly as he picked her up and spun her in the air. She was about eighteen and had just become Shadow Warrior. "How's my Shadow Warrior?" He asked, looking her straight in the eyes. "I'm great." She said. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled herself closer. Their lips met, and he pulled away from her after a minute. "I haven't seen you in so long!" Tyron said. "Yeah… I was on a mission." Terezah shrugged. She knew she had been told to cut off all relationships, but didn't see the harm in keeping her lover. She had told him a couple months ago that she was the new Shadow Warrior, but he hadn't believed her. Tonight, she was going to give him a tour of the palace. There were many rooms that were sealed off to everyone except the highest class, but the Shadow Warrior had full access to any place in the Kingdom. "I can't wait to see the War Room." Tyron said. The War Room was where they planned all their attacks, and had top secret information on their kingdom. "Uh… yeah." She said with a small smile. Out of all the rooms, that was the one that she should probably not show him. _

"_Nobody enters this room without given permission…" The guard stopped speaking. "My apologies Shadow Warrior." The guard said quickly. He opened the door for her and Tyron. She stepped into the room. Charts and scrolls covered the desks. There were many boxes filled with important papers. Books lay open everywhere. On a huge table in the middle of the room was a huge map of Asgard, with flags showing which cities they had captured. The door shut behind them, and they were alone. "This is amazing." Tyron said. He pulled her into a hug. She didn't know why he was so happy to be in here. She felt something cold against her throat. "Where are the maps to this Kingdom?" He asked. She looked down to see a dagger pressed against her throat. "Tyron…" She tried to ask him what was going on, but he pressed the dagger more into her throat. "Some Shadow Warrior…" He breathed into her ear. She didn't want to do this, but she had to. She kicked a pressure point in his knee as hard as she could and he stumbled backwards and fell onto the ground. Tears slipped from her eyes. "Why?!" She asked angrily. "I was just kidding!" He said with a twisted smirk. She waited a second before she was convinced. She held out her hand to pull him up. He took it and stood up. Then, he thrust the dagger into her shoulder. She stumbled back against the wall and looked at him. He smirked. "Foolish Terezah. So desperate for love that you would bring me of all people into the War Room. Her shoulder started to burn. She fell to the ground, losing control of her legs. "You'll only be asleep for a little while." He said and patted her on the head. She felt her vision go black. _

"_You let someone into the War Room?!" The queen asked angrily. "I don't want to kill you! You are one of the most talented assassins I've had for a long time! You have potential!" The queen sighed. Terezah's wrists were cuffed to a chain that attached to the ceiling. She was lifted at least a foot off the ground. "Do you promise this will NEVER happen again?!" The queen asked angrily. Terezah nodded silently. "You still need to be taught a lesson." The queen said and a guard stepped out from behind her. He had a whip in his hand. The queen turned around and left. The large man with the whip went around to her back side. She felt him rip open the back of her shirt, exposing her back to the biting cold of the dungeon. Her arms ached from hanging by them and she hadn't eaten in a week. She felt the whip come down on her back. Pain raged through her body. She felt her skin being ripped off her back. Again. Again. She let out a cry of pain as the glass tied onto the end of the whip cut into her flesh. Again. Again. After about twenty times, the whipping stopped. The man then smiled at her and picked up a bucket that had something in it. He threw it onto her back and she screamed in agony. "Don't worry… just a little acid." The man said, grinning. She continued screaming as she felt the acid burn her freshly cut back, seeping into her skin. Her screams echoed through the cold stone walls. She would never lose focus again. _

* * *

She snapped away from her memories when Loki spoke. "I'm sure you did." Loki said in a mock tone, cutting her to the center. "But, you could have just told me!" He shouted at her.

"Words won't give you experience!" She shot back. She almost felt the whip coming down on her back once more. She shuddered at thinking about what had happened. She had hung there for at least another week until she was let down from the chains. She had become so sick she nearly died.

"I learn from words better than experience!" Loki said angrily.

"Trust me… It's not the same!"

Hogun cleared his throat. "Stop arguing! We don't need to give away our position to everyone in the whole forest!" He snapped.

Terezah snapped her focus away from Loki and refused to even look at him for the rest of the evening. She didn't want him to make the same mistake she had. She had lost focus and nearly paid for it with her life. They continued walking for hours, stopping once to eat lunch. She watched them eat and felt as if she was going to die from starvation. _I've gone longer without food in worse conditions! _She thought to herself as hunger swirled in her stomach.

They set up camp as the sky started to darken. Hogun lit the fire and Loki just sat there, letting Hogun do all the work. They all sat around the fire and watched the flames lick the rocks around it. It danced in the night air, spreading an orange glow around them. Hogun's eyes flicked between their faces. He rolled his eyes and laid down. After another hour, he was asleep.

"What happened?" She heard Loki ask, breaking the silence.

"What?" She asked, irritated.

"How did you learn the hard way? You said that's why you stuck me with the arrow." He said, eyes narrowing.

"Someone betrayed me when I didn't expect them to, and I was punished." She replied, avoiding eye contact.

"A little less vague." Loki said.

Terezah sighed. "Do I have to tell you my whole life story?" She asked annoyed.

"Only if you bring it up." Loki replied with a smirk.

"I had a lover once, after I became Shadow Warrior and…" Loki interrupted.

"You had a lover?!" He asked completely shocked.

"Yes…" She said slowly. "Anyways… Part of becoming the Shadow Warrior is cutting off all relationships. Well, I didn't listen. He wanted to be shown the War Room where there was detailed maps of our Kingdom. Being the Shadow Warrior, I can go anywhere without permission. I took him and he betrayed me, knocking me out with poison and stealing some maps. He was eventually caught and put to death, but I was locked up in a prison cell and whipped until I had learned my lesson. Never lose focus." She said, looking away from Loki's searching eyes.

"Well… that's an adventure…" Loki said.

After a long silence she spoke up again. "I don't want you to end up like I did, betrayed and hurt. That's why I back-stabbed you." She said quietly.

Loki stared at her, blue eyes penetrating hers. There was another long silence. "Well, we should probably get some sleep." She said. Loki snapped out of his daze.

"Yes. It is rather late." He said. He pulled something from his bag and threw it at her. She caught it and looked at the piece of bread that was now in her hands. "Goodnight." He said with a smug grin. He laid down and closed his eyes. Terezah ate the bread before lying down herself, looking up at the snow that lazily drifted down around them. She closed her eyes and conjured a dagger, holding it in her hands. She fell asleep, hoping Loki had forgiven her.

* * *

**Please Please Please Please Please... Comment! :P I need comments! **


	14. Chapter 14

**Since you peoples want another chapter, I'll give you ONE more! I am really busy, so this will be the last chapter for the next two weeks. Only two weeks! Don't lose faith in my story because you have to wait two weeks. :) **

* * *

Loki fell onto his bed. He buried his face in his pillows and took a deep breath. It was so good to be home! It had ended up being a tie and nobody had enough energy to dispute over the matter. They had all been sent home and had just gotten back from the Bifrost.

"Lokitty!" He heard Freya squeal with delight. "I am so glad you have some home safely!" She said. She walked over to his bed and sat down next to him.

"You are a sight for sore eyes, my dear." Loki said and sat up. Freya pulled him into a passionate kiss. He pulled away, breathing heavily.

"What is the occasion to receive such a kiss?" He asked, looking into her bright blue eyes.

"You're back! I have missed you so much!" She said soothingly and pulled him into another kiss. He glided his hands along her back. Then the door opened and Loki slowly looked at who had ruined their moment.

"Sorry to intrude…" Terezah said. Something was wrong. "I uh… I need to take a little vacation…. about a week… is that all right?" She asked. He watched her golden eyes flit nervously around the room.

"What do you need a vacation for?" He pried.

"Personal matter." She said and her golden eyes bored into his, daring him to ask more.

"Fine…" He said slowly.

"You got what you wanted, now go away rat!" Freya said irritably.

Terezah remained serious the whole time and didn't use the slightest bit of sarcasm as she left. She nodded to Loki and Freya sitting on the bed and closed the door behind her. Loki thought about why she was acting so strange. "Lokitty…" Freya said in a melodic voice. His eyes met hers again.

He had to go see what was wrong with Terezah. The competition had helped him understand her a lot more, and something was wrong. "Uh… I have to go talk to Terezah real quick." He said. He planted a kiss on her forehead and walked quickly out the door, leaving her fuming in anger in his room. He walked quickly down the hall and turned. He walked to Terezah's door and knocked.

"Terezah?" He asked.

"What?" He heard an upset voice ask.

"Let me in." He demanded.

"No. Go enjoy your brat. I have stuff to do."

Loki rolled his eyes. He used his magic to unlock the door and opened it. Terezah was walking around her room, frantically packing a bag. She shoved daggers and books in it and some of her clothes. "Where are you going?" He asked.

"Personal business." She said angrily.

Loki walked into the room. "Come on. Just tell me. Are you mad at me now?" He asked.

"No. I have something I need to do! Go away. I'll be back in a week." She closed her bag and slung it over her shoulder. "Don't die, or get abducted, or get poisoned, or insult people to the point of physical harm to yourself." She said looking him in the eyes. She grabbed her bow off of her dresser and walked passed him quickly.

Loki watched her almost run down the hall. He didn't know why she was so out of it all the sudden. He started following her. He had to find out where she was going. He followed her out of the palace and into the city. He turned invisible so that she wouldn't see him. She wove through the streets and markets. He followed her for hours. She started heading for the Bifrost. He was slightly confused on why she would want to leave Asgard so quickly.

She neared Heimdall who was waiting outside of the Bifrost. He caught up to them, trying to remain as quiet as he could.

"Heimdall… I have to go to Svartalfheim." He heard her say. He was slightly shocked. She could be going there to do so many different things.

"I know why you have to go back to Svartalfheim." Heimdall said. His golden eyes shifted to exactly where he was standing. Loki knew Heimdall saw him. He silently pleaded Heimdall would let him tag along. "I see all." He said, still watching Loki. "I will allow you to travel to Svartalfheim. If you are a threat to Asgard, I will not open the Bifrost to you." Heimdall said and walked into the Bifrost followed by Terezah.

Loki was completely confused at this point. He hurriedly went into the Bifrost. Heimdall slammed his sword down, activating the spinning golden dome. It twisted down, covering the entrance. It spun faster and faster. With the Bifrost pointed at Svartalfheim, the portal opened and Terezah stood in front of it. "Thank you." She said to Heimdall. She disappeared into the portal. Heimdall turned to him.

"The same warning to you. If your return threatens the safety of Asgard, the Bifrost will remain closed. Loki stepped in front of the portal and was whisked away. Seconds passed and his feet finally touched the ground. He was standing on what appeared to be very dark green grass. The sun lit the planet vibrantly, but Svartalfheim still remained as barren and ash colored as he had read.

Loki had never been here, but he had read much about Svartalfheim. He looked around for Terezah. He spotted her only a hill away, walking slowly towards what appeared to be a town. Loki jogged to catch up with her, still invisible. He followed slightly behind her. She walked through the gates and into a busy city, which looked like a market place. It was filled with dark elves walking around, minding their own business. He had the sudden feeling he shouldn't have come.

* * *

Terezah walked through the busy market, looking for the flower shop she always went to. She hadn't been here in a while, so it took longer to find it. She approached the small flower stand, which contained dozens of flower types. They were all shapes and sizes, bright and dark, small and huge, vibrant and bland. She looked through the flowers until she finally found the one she was looking for. It was a small golden flower which looked like a miniature rose. The whole thing was gold. The petals were smooth and glittered in the sun. She owner greeted her.

"Terezah! Long time no see? Where ya been this time?" The kind lady asked.

"Just doing some work for the Queen. Walking around the palace. Usual business." She said with a smile. She knew many people in the village. Almost nobody outside of the palace knew she was the Shadow Warrior, but everyone knew she served the Queen.

"I see it's that time of year again." The lady said, putting a caring hand on her arm. "I'm so sorry." The lady said. "You can just have the flower. Is that all you need?" The lady asked.

"Yes. Thank you." Terezah said and turned away from the cart. This was the village she had grown up in. Everyone had loved her mother, and had known them quite well. When her mother had been murdered, it had shocked the whole village. Being a tight-knit community, word had spread fast of the tragedy.

As she walked down the street, she saw many familiar faces. They would say hello or wave to her, then their expression would sadden as they realized it was that time of year. Terezah carried the small golden flower through the streets, finally getting past the busiest streets. She continued walking along the all too familiar path. The sky was greyish green, the trees shook from the wind that rolled past. Storm clouds covered the sun, threatening to cry.

She watched the path ahead of her, walking towards the small little home on the hill. Still untouched. Nobody had had the heart to tear it down or sell the land, so they had left it alone. Her mother had been a hero in the small town. As she got closer to the house, memories started to flood back to her. She stopped walking when she reached the door to the house. In her mind, she saw a little girl run through the door and get scooped up by a beautiful woman. The woman tickled the little girl until the girl was crying with laughter.

Terezah's mouth lifted into a crooked smile. She placed her hand on the doorknob. She took a deep breath, trying to control her emotions. She gently turned the knob and cracked the door open. She hadn't been here in centuries. It had been so long since she had done this. She took a step into the house. It smelled old and had a lifeless feeling to it. She looked at the hard wood floor where a layer of dust had settled. Sheets covered all of the furniture, and all of the windows were closed, making the house like a cave. She lingered in the hall and studied a dent, bringing back memories. She took a deep breath and continued walking through the house.

She walked into her mother's old room. There was a bed in the middle of the small dark room. The light pink covers on the bed looked old and tattered and had stains on it. Decorations still hung on the wall, and there was still stuff on her writing desk. She left the room just as quickly as she had entered. She walked past the stairs that led down into the basement where her room had been. She walked straight to the back door. She opened it and stepped outside.

The smell of rain filled her breath, and the crisp air whipped past her, sending a chill down her back. The first few drops of rain started falling from the sky. What a coincidence. Terezah walked slowly to the large tree that towered over the house, sheltering the grave at its base from the rain. She touched the tree's bark, running her hand over the rough surface. She looked down at the black stone that had her mother's name carved into it.

Terezah dropped to her knees in front of the grave. She studied the stone before her eyes started to well up with tears. A lump rose in her throat and her eyes stung. "I'm sorry." She whispered. "I'm so sorry…" Her breaths became shakier as she continued.

"I haven't been to visit you for a while." More tears streamed down her face. Rain beat down on the tree, and eventually drops of water splashed through its cover. "It's been hard without you..." She said, barely managing the words. "I've had a hard time. I've learned a lot though… and grown a lot too…" She let a sob break through her words. "I have tried to be the best I could. The way you taught me… I have saved lives and protected the throne… I wish you could have been there for me…." She muttered. "I miss you…"

She tried to contain her emotions, but eventually let them go. "I feel so alone… I need you…" She whispered. She tried to blink the tears out of her eyes, but it just made more stream down her face. The black head stone sat in front of her, staring blankly back at her. "I never had anyone but you…" She cried, burying her face in her hands. Sobs shook her, and she couldn't hold them back. Rain poured out of the sky around her, filling the air with a fresh aroma.

After what seemed like forever, she finally took out the small golden flower. She put the flower on the ground in front of her. She remembered the lullaby her mother had always sung to her before bed. She calmed herself and started singing. Her voice filled the air around her. The rain seemed to dance to it. The wind brushed against the tree, almost in response to the soothing lullaby. The world seemed to mourn with her, and the rain started to stop.

She picked up the small golden flower. She held it into the air, and the wind picked it up. She watched the flower drift lazily through the wind. She watched until it disappeared over the hill top. Her eyes brimming with tears, she looked back at the grave. "I love you…" She whispered.

* * *

Loki was confused at what Terezah was saying. She was speaking in her native tongue with a lady who owned a flower cart. She picked up a small golden flower and said something else to the lady, who replied. She continued walking down the street, people saying stuff to her in elven as well. He had no idea what they were saying.

Loki followed her to a small, broken down house on a hill. He had no idea what she was doing. She stopped in front of the door, staring at the doorknob. Loki watched as she opened it and slowly stepped into the house. He followed her into the house as quietly as he could. He was surprised she hadn't noticed him yet. She walked through the house, stopping to look at stuff. She went out the back door to the house and Loki's heart immediately sunk at what he saw.

There was a grave under a huge tree. The grave had writing on it he didn't understand. She started talking in elven. Loki stood right behind her. She started sobbing after saying a few things. Then she surprised him more than anything. At first he thought he was hearing things, but quickly realized he wasn't. She was singing.

Her voice filled the air around her. Loki was absolutely mesmerized by the beauty of the song. The song sounded as if it was in an ancient version of her tongue. It spoke of sadness and loss, happiness and comfort; memories revisited. Though he could not understand the words she was speaking, he listened to her sweet voice. She could definitely sing. Her voice was lovely and soothing. Then, her song stopped. He watched as she took the small golden flower she had gotten at the market and let it go into the wind. The golden flower danced in the wind, drifting peacefully away. Terezah looked at the grave and whispered something. She sat there looking down at the grave for a while. Loki studied her as she eventually got up and wiped the tears from her eyes.

He felt slightly guilty that he had followed her, and watched her mourn. He could only assume that was her mother's grave. Terezah walked back through the house and out the front door. Loki followed closely behind her. Rain fell hard all around them. It was dark, as the sun had set. A cold wind whipped against him. He didn't mind the cold.

* * *

Terezah stopped walking. She looked around, her eyes still brimming with tears. She flipped her hood up over her soaked hair. She felt a shiver travel down her spine. She felt like someone was watching her. She looked behind her, but saw nobody. She took in her surroundings. She shrugged it off and continued walking. She walked into the once busy market street. It was dark out and raining hard, so everyone had gone inside. She passed house after house and stopped once to watch a family eating dinner together, laughing, smiling… happy.

She remembered the few years when she and her mother had been that way. She turned away from the family's window and kept walking. She was completely alone. She had no family. No friends. The only person who even came close to being her friend was a stubborn, prideful prince. Then, she realized how much she needed Loki. He had been there for her, even if it was under odd circumstances, he had still been there. He had listened to her as she told him of her nightmares. He had put an arm around her as she cried. Nobody had done that for her since her youth.

"Loki…" She whispered. She started running in the direction of the Bifrost site. Her heart pounded and she pushed her legs to go faster. She ran through the cold night, the wind beating against her, the rain stinging her face. She finally reached the hill where she had arrived.

"Well! If it isn't my favorite Shadow Warrior!" She heard a voice behind her. She whipped around to see a man standing behind her.

"You're dead!" She creamed angrily.

"Nope. Who told you that?" The man asked in a snide tone.

Terezah felt anger sear through her. "You will be now!" She said and lunged for him. The man quickly dodged her dagger. She took out another dagger. She had one in each hand now. The man pulled out a swords and swung at her. She blocked with her daggers, twisting the sword out of his hand. The man's eyes widened in surprise.

"I'm a lot better than last time." She hissed.

"I can see that." The man said. His eyes started to dart around, looking for his sword. She swung her dagger towards him. He gracefully avoided each stroke. He found his sword and picked it up quickly. She took this chance to knock him to his feet. He landed on his back, and scrambled to get up. She jammed her hand into a pressure point on his shoulder. He let out a cry of pain and tumbled to the ground.

"After all these years, you have some courage to confront me, Tyron." She spat.

"Tera… I did what I had to do. The queen wanted to test you, and I was the best man for the job." He pleaded. She stared into his blue eyes. Rain still fell around them.

"Oh! So you work for the Queen now?!" She asked sarcastically.

"Yes!"

"Then where have I been for the past months?" She questioned, digging the heel of her boot into his throat.

Tyron coughed. "You've been in Asgard as part of a peace agreement." He sputtered, gasping for breath.

"How did you know that?!" She asked angrily.

"I'm your successor!" He coughed, trying to fill his lungs with air.

"My apologies Shadow Warrior!" She shouted.

"You have to believe me!" He pleaded.

"What's the code then?" Terezah asked with a wicked grin. Only the Shadow Warrior and the Queen knew the Shadow Code.

Tyron repeated the oath in ancient Druhir. Terezah's eyes widened as he said it perfectly. She lifted her boot off of his throat, allowing him to breathe. He coughed and wheezed, filling his lungs with air. He stood up and rubbed his throat.

"I'm sorry about what happened in the War Room." Tyron said, staring into her golden eyes. He came closer to her. He was only a hand-width away now. He bent down and whispered in her ear. "I still love you."

"Sure you do." She said sarcastically.

"Do you not believe me?" He asked.

Terezah felt so conflicted. He had betrayed her, but he had done it because the Queen had ordered him to. She felt her heart flutter slightly. Tyron was very close. The rain poured around them. She remembered him back in the library, and how he had gotten her to believe he had been joking. She watched his hands carefully, making sure they didn't reach for a hidden weapon.

"Please." Tyron said.

"How do I know you aren't tricking me like last time?" She asked slowly.

Tyron lifted her chin gently, tilting her head up. He slowly bent towards her. She felt his lips touch hers lightly. The kiss deepened slightly. His lips worked against hers, soft and warm. She couldn't help but feel a jolt run down her spine. She felt his hand slide down to her waist. His other hand rested on the back of her neck, pulling her closer. She wrapped her arms around his neck as Tyron kissed her hungrily. She conjured a dagger and pressed it slightly into the back of his neck. Tyron pulled away with a hurt expression on his face.

"Still not convinced?" He asked.

"No." She whispered as she stared into his eyes.

"Terezah… what more can I do?"

"You are a Shadow Warrior… we don't pop up randomly at any time. You want something from me." She stated.

Tyron sighed. "What if I want you?" He asked.

"What if I don't want to be with you?" Terezah shot back.

"Is there someone else?" He asked.

"No. There will never be anyone else. All I do is lose people."

"You lose people because you push them away." Tyron whispered into her ear.

Terezah studied his eyes. She slowly shook her head. "No." She said. Suddenly her legs started to feel numb. She stumbled to the ground, but Tyron caught her.

"I'm sorry…" Tyron whispered.

"What… did you do to me?" She asked, slurring her words.

"Just a little stuff to put you to sleep. Don't worry. Your home is here, you just need to be reminded of that." He said. She felt him lift her off her feet and start to carry her somewhere. She tried to fight him, but she couldn't. Finally, her world blacked out. The last thing she felt was rain running down her face.

* * *

**It takes about two to three hours to write a chapter (sometimes longer) and it feels great when people tell you what they think of your hard work. Please comment and tell me what you think. I will answer any question or suggestions. It means A LOT to me when you guys comment :) Thanks for all the comments so far! They're all positive, so I must be doing a good job on this story :D Anyways... I hope you peoples realize that Asgardians live about 5000 years, so when I say Terezah is ten, in "Human" terms she is actually a couple 100 years old! Remember that... :D**


	15. Chapter 15

**I really am a sucker for staying on track... I HAD to continue the story! Ugh... I'm weird... I am addicted to writing! Writing is my passion and it felt so weird to stop. Here are another two chapter because I love you guys so much. :D I hope you like them... Don't forget to comment... :D**

* * *

Terezah's eyes fluttered open. It took a minute to recall what had happened. She looked around the room she was currently in. It was a tiny room that was a little dark at the moment. Strangely, it smelled like pine and was really warm. The room was square and there was a heavy metal door in the middle of a wall, and a small hole on the ceiling that let fresh air into the room. The walls and floor were made of cement, and the ceiling was made of wood. She sat up, immediately feeling a pounding headache come to life. She looked at the pair of metal shackles that were around her ankles. The shackles connected to a chain that was bolted to the middle of the floor.

She instinctively reached for her belt, which had many tools that could get her out of this situation, but it was gone. She tried to conjure a dagger, but couldn't._ There must be a spell cast on the room or these shackles which prevents me from using magic…_ She wrestled with the shackles for almost an hour before giving up. She was barefoot, so the hopes of reaching the daggers in her boots were gone. She was leaning against the wall that was opposite to the door. She contemplated how he could have put her to sleep. He hadn't used magic, or she would have been able to sense it. He hadn't injected the sleep poison into her. How had he done it?!

She sat there for what seemed like hours, when the room started to light up, probably from the morning sun. She jumped when the lock on the metal door made a loud banging sound and the door swung open. Tyron stepped into the room and shut the door behind him.

"What are you doing?!" Terezah asked him angrily.

"I'm trying to convince you to stay on Svartalfheim." Tyron said with a smug grin.

"It's not my choice!" She said in disbelief.

"It is! The queen can't make decisions for you." Tyron said simply as he walked back and forth in front of her.

"This IS my decision! I want to go back to Asgard!" She shouted at the man.

"You are delusional! The Asgardians are a horrible people! They have corrupted you!" Tyron spat.

"They have done no such thing! I like it there. It is certainly friendlier than here. And if you're the new Shadow Warrior, shouldn't you be with the Queen?!"

"I do what I want and you'll do as you're told! You are staying here!" Tyron said.

Terezah blinked in disbelief. "I haven't seen you for centuries! I don't want you! I don't want to stay here, and nothing you do is going to persuade me otherwise. This is not my home!" She shouted with force.

"You haven't even been gone for a year and yet you would betray the people you have strived to protect your whole life?! The Asgardians have brainwashed you!"

Terezah took a deep breath, trying to swallow her anger. Then she came up with a plan. If she pretended she had indeed been brainwashed, and 'snapped out of it', he would let her go. She smiled inside as she put on her act. She curled up into a ball and clutched the sides of her head, shaking her head furiously. "No… No… No! I love Asgard!" She sobbed. Tears ran down her face and she choked on her cries. Then she paused. "I… love… Asgard…." She said confused. Terezah knew she would have to keep the charade up for a while so that it didn't seem like she was faking it.

"You don't love Asgard! You never have! They have clearly done something to you." Tyron said. Terezah continued to sob and Tyron walked over to her. He bent down and placed a hand on her shoulder. Terezah continued to sob. "Maybe staying here, with me, will help break this spell they have cast on you." Terezah fought back the urge to beat him up. Tyron placed a kiss on her forehead and stood up.

"I love you, Terezah." He said and then turned around and walked towards the door. When he was gone, Terezah immediately stopped sobbing. She wiped the tears off her face and sneered. "I love you Terezah." She said in a mock tone. "Idiot." She mumbled. She leaned back against the wall, and pressed a hand to her pounding head. _Why does this stuff always happen to me? _

* * *

Loki tried to keep up with Terezah as she bolted off, but she was too fast and quickly left him in the dust. He stopped to catch his breath. The rain beat down on him and the muddy ground threatened to swallow his feet. He started running again, completely exhausted. He had started off his day on Niflheim, then gone back to Asgard, and now he was running through mud and rain on Svartalfheim, stalking his shady body guard. Soon, he couldn't even find her. She was gone. He looked around at the muddy hills on all sides of him. Not only was he lost, wet, and cold, but he was also on a planet full of dark elves who would gladly kill him without a second thought.

He looked around in a panic, desperately looking for the dark elf. He even risked it and called her name. She was nowhere to be found. He was so used to those golden eyes watching him, that he almost missed her now that she had disappeared. Loki didn't know what to do. He was on Svartalfheim running around in the dark, looking for someone who he clearly wouldn't find. He wandered around for another hour before he finally gave up on looking for her.

"Heimdall!" He called. He was ready to go home. Terezah knew her way around here, and would come home in a week. He waited for the Bifrost to open and take him back home. Finally, he was lifted off the ground and set back down in the Bifrost.

"Your guard has escaped my sight." Heimdall said.

Loki looked at the gate keeper in confusion. "What do you mean? I was just barely with her… sort of…"

"I can no longer see her. She was with a man, then she disappeared." Heimdall said.

"She's probably catching up with some friends." Loki shrugged. He didn't know what to think about the new situation. She had all of the sudden disappeared from an all-seeing gatekeeper and himself, and was last seen with a man. What could she be doing?

"Be wary. If she is indeed a threat, she will not be allowed back into Asgard."

Loki just nodded and started walking to the palace. He should have brought a horse. He walked for hours through the dark, empty streets of Asgard. When he finally reached the palace, he was met by Freya who was waiting for him outside of his chambers.

"Where have you been?" She asked sternly. "And why are you all wet and muddy?"

Loki met Freya's eyes. He wasn't in the mood for this. "I was on Vanaheim. I had to look for something I left there during the competition and it started raining." Loki didn't want to face her pathetic wrath tonight.

"Oh…" Freya said and looked at the ground sheepishly, a light blush rising to her cheeks. "I thought you were with the rat. You left me in your room, and I waited there for about an hour before I went to see that both of you were gone." She said quietly.

Loki walked past her and into his chambers. "I really am sorry about that, but I am exhausted. Good night Freya." He said.

"Wait… Where is the rat?" Freya asked, walking into his chambers and shutting the door behind her.

"I gave her the week off. How should I know?" Loki asked without turning around. He pulled his mud covered boots off and threw them into the corner of his room. A maid would clean it up later. He pulled off his wet, muddy armor, and changed into a loose, dark green tunic. He turned around to see Freya had sat by the fireplace and was staring into the orange flames. He knew he had to make it up to her. He walked over to where she sat on his dark green divan. She refused to look at him.

"Freya." He said gently. It took a couple seconds before she finally turned her head to look at him. "I am sorry I left you this morning." He said.

"You don't have time for me anymore." She said quietly, her eyes started to brim with tears. Loki sat close to her and put an arm around her.

"I have been very busy as of late." Loki said.

"Busy with the rat." Freya accused.

"She is a friend. Nothing more." He replied, trying to stay calm.

"So now she is your friend?! How close of 'friends' are you?!" Freya asked angrily.

"Is that what this is all about?" Loki asked slightly irritated. "Nothing is going on between us! We are simply friends." Loki said forcefully.

"Then stop being 'friends' with her."

Loki thought about this. He remembered how alone she looked at her mother's grave. She needed someone to be there for her. "I cannot." Loki said, making no room for her to argue.

"You don't care for me anymore!" Freya sobbed angrily.

"Do you really want to go there?" Loki asked, frustrated.

"Yes! Why else would you spend all your time with the rat?!" Freya persisted.

Freya was beautiful, but her personality sure wasn't. Loki knew she would continue to get worse. Soon, he wouldn't be allowed to see his own mother! His mother! He should ask his mother for advice. She never disappointed him when he had gone to her seeking advice. Loki stood up and walked to the door. Freya yelled at him to return, but he left his chambers, leaving her alone for the second time that day. The walk to his mother's chambers was a long one. It was probably well past midnight, so he would have to wake her up, but he knew she wouldn't mind.

He approached the doors to his mother's chambers and looked at the half asleep guards on either side of the doors. They opened the doors for him and he walked into the room. He was surprised to see his mother was still awake and reading a book, sitting on her gigantic floor pillow. She slowly looked up from the book and smiled warmly at her son. Loki smiled back, trying to push away the anger from his conversation with Freya.

"My son, what brings you here so late in the evening?" She asked him. She closed the book and set it on the floor next to her. Loki sat on a floor pillow just across from where she sat. He tried to think of a way to start the conversation.

"I need some… advice." Loki said.

"What is your problem?" Frigga asked.

His mother had been the only person to know about his relationship with Freya for the past three years before he made it public after the assassins incident. "I am having trouble maintaining peace between Lady Freya and my guard."

"Terezah?" The Queen asked.

"Yes." Loki replied slowly.

"She is such a sweet girl." His mother said with a warm smile.

Loki blinked in confusion. "Terezah?" He asked. _A 'sweet girl'?! _He thought in disbelief

"Yes. The poor elf has been through so much. I can't believe she has held herself together after everything that has happened." The queen frowned.

Loki rarely saw his mother frown. He knew Terezah had been through some bad things, but his mother made it sound as if Terezah's whole life had been completely horrible. "How so?" He asked carefully.

"Hasn't she told you?" She questioned.

Loki felt confused. His mother knew more about Terezah than he did. "She has told me some things…" He trailed off.

"What was your problem, my dear?" Frigga said, redirecting the conversation.

"Freya is jealous of Terezah and I'm having trouble convincing Freya that I love her."

"Do you love her?" She asked.

"Of course I do…" Loki trailed off. Did he love Freya?

"I cannot make decisions for you. If you love her, that should be enough to convince her. You shouldn't have to go beyond the nine realms to prove it. What has she done to prove that she loves you?" The kind woman asked.

"She has…" Loki thought frantically, trying to remember anything she had ever done to prove her love for him. She had stayed with him for three years, and spent time with him… but she had never been pressured to prove her love for him. What had she done? "I don't know…" He finally admitted.

"Being 'in love' is a temporary madness, it erupts like fire and then slowly it burns away. And when it burns away, you have to make a decision. You have to decide whether your souls have entwined together so much that it is unthinkable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promise of eternal passion, it is not the desire to be together every second of the day. That is just being 'in love', which any person can do. Love itself is what is left over when being 'in love' has withered away." His mother said.

"How do I know if I truly love Freya?" Loki asked after a moment's pause.

"That is one thing you will have to decide for yourself. I do not know Freya enough to give you an answer to that. Love… True love… is giving a person room enough to grow and become the best they can. If you crowd them, smother them, their fire will die and they will never reach their true potential. That is what I believe love is. True love takes time." She smiled and looked at him.

Frigga reached over and embraced her son. "I love you. I will always love you. Never forget that." She whispered.

"I love you too, mother." Loki replied. He took in a deep breath, his mother's perfume filling his lungs. He pulled away after a moment and stood up. "Goodnight. Thank you for the advice." He said and started walking towards the door.

"Goodnight." She said caringly and looked back down at her book as he left the room. Loki walked back to his chambers. He knew what he had to do.

* * *

Terezah hated the room. It was small, and she was hungry. Tyron had only fed her once since he had abducted her. It had been about two days by her guess at the light that came into her room, and she was getting sick of him already. The door to the room opened and Tyron stepped into her little cement box carrying a tray of food.

"Hello beautiful." He said as he set the tray down next to her. She refused to look at him.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"I don't like it in here! I want to go back to… Asgard…" She said angrily.

"Don't worry. I will find a way to break this spell they have cast on you." Tyron said.

"Why won't you let me go?" She cried.

"I love you." He said. He pushed a few strands of her silver hair out of her face. He had a hungry look in his eyes that made Terezah feel uncomfortable. "Why can't we pick up where we left off?" He asked, slowly getting closer to her. He forced her against the wall and started kissing her. He kissed her hungrily and aggressively, as if he wanted to do more. She tried to push him away, but he pinned her arms to the sides of her head and continued. He kissed her jawline, moving down her neck.

"You mean when you betrayed me?! I'd be happy to!" She shouted sarcastically. She pushed away from him and the wall, standing in the middle of the room and continued. "I want to go back to Asgard!" She shouted.

"You aren't going anywhere!" Tyron said, getting angrier.

"Let. Me. OUT!" She spat angrily. "You can't keep me here! I have duties in Asgard!"

"You need to stay here with me." He said, irritated.

"I hate you!" She said with as much force as she could muster. Then, pain ripped across the side of her face and she stumbled back, tripping over the chain and landing on the floor. He had slapped her. She felt shocked for a few seconds. He had never hit her before. She blinked in disbelief.

"I never want to hear that again or next time it will be harder!" He spat angrily. She was used to physical pain, so she didn't mind it much, but she would put on a show anyways.

"You just hurt me!" She sobbed. She pulled her legs to her chest and buried her face.

"Stop the act! You can't fool me!" Tyron said.

She looked up at him defiantly. She decided to test him again. "I hate you." She said through gritted teeth. Tyron rushed her and she felt him yank her up by her hair. She cried out in pain as he forced her to stand and then shoved her against the wall. She hit her head on the hard cement surface.

"You will learn to behave yourself! You will do as I say. Listen very closely… I know you love me. You are saying things to try and get me to let you go! Say you love me!" Tyron demanded, shaking her.

"I HATE you." She spat. He thrust her to the floor. She curled up in a ball, afraid he would do more damage.

"You will learn." Tyron said. He picked up the tray of food and left the room, slamming the door behind him. She took some deep breaths to steady her nerves. Realizing the food was gone, angry tears streamed down her cheeks. Her stomach growled and she slid against the wall. She sat there, contemplating her next move. She could easily kill him, but she didn't know if he had the key to her chains or not, so then she would be stuck in here and die of starvation. The light in the room dimmed significantly, and she felt her eyes start to grow heavier. She fought sleep, trying to stay alert, but eventually she gave in.

She jolted awake when the door to the room swung open. Tyron came into the room and shut the door, so that is was open only a crack. "Did you sleep well?" Tyron asked her. He was carrying a food tray, and he set it down next to her, just as he had done the previous day.

"No." She replied stiffly.

"I would give you a pillow, but you haven't earned it yet." Tyron said. "Are you ready to be honest?" He asked her as if she was a little child.

"Honest about what?" She asked angrily.

"Your feelings for me." He replied slightly irritated. He smelled strongly of mead. He was probably drunk, so she would have to be careful.

"I don't have any feelings for you, and even if I did you still wouldn't let me go!" She replied.

His face twisted in anger and he grabbed her arm. Definitely drunk. "You will learn to love me again then!" He said and forced his lips onto hers. She tried to push away, but he was too strong. He tasted like mead. She bit his tongue as hard as she could and he pulled away. He was furious. He threw her against the wall and pinned her arms to her sides. "I let you off last time thinking you would have learned your lesson. Apparently you haven't!" He spat. He flipped her arm into an awkward position and twisted it painfully. She cried out as he twisted it harder. She struggled to get away from him, but she couldn't do much because of his hold on her and the chains that bound her feet together. His weight crushed her against the wall. "Do you love me?" He asked again, nearly screaming in her ear.

"No!" She cried through gritted teeth. He moved quickly and she felt pain rip through her. There was a loud snap and popping sound and her arm hung limp. She screamed in agony as he threw her to the ground. She clutched her arm, trying to lessen the pain, but it just made it worse. He lunged at her, clearly not done. She felt his foot dig into her back, shooting even more pain through her. It was forceful enough that she heard another crack. She screamed as she endured the excruciating pain that wracked her torso. Tyron picked her up by her good arm and yelled into her ear. "I hope you have learned your lesson!" He said and threw her to the ground with as much force as he could. She hit her head and it felt like her head had been split open. Black started to fill her vision. Her thoughts were clouded with torment as she went unconscious. One thought rang clear in her head. This was her step-father all over again.


	16. Chapter 16

**Should Loki and Terezah be a couple? I'm seriously thinking about them being totally amazing friends...**

* * *

Terezah's shoulder and back hurt badly when she moved too much, so she tried to limit her movement. She had a dislocated shoulder and didn't know about her back, but it didn't feel good. A dislocated shoulder was one of the most painful things she had ever endured. She had learned how to put her shoulder back into place, but it would hurt. She sat on the floor and pulled her knees to her chest. She wrapped her arms around her knees and laced her fingers together, forming a tight grip. As she sat with her hands over her knees, she slowly leaned back, applying pressure to her arm. Pain ran races through her arm as she continued leaning back, using her leg as leverage. Finally, her shoulder gave a painful jolt as it popped back into place. She gritted her teeth at the pain of doing so.

Her shoulder was completely sore and hurt as she slowly rubbed it. She laid back down and cradled her shoulder. She didn't have ice or a sling, so she would have to do the best she could. She quickly repositioned herself as she felt another pang of pain in her back. Her stomach growled. She had been in the room for fifteen days now and Tyron hadn't fed her in five days. She laid there in an awkward position, trying to focus on anything but her current situation. She had only provoked Tyron once in the past couple days, and he had dislocated her shoulder again, which she had just put back in minutes ago. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her head pounded and her mouth was dry. She needed water.

As if answering her, the door swung open and Tyron came into the room carrying a tray of food. He set it down in front of her, but far enough away so that she couldn't reach it. "Now, we shall try again. For each question that you answer correctly, you will get a piece of food." Tyron smiled and looked her in the eyes. He knelt on one knee in front of her, and waved a piece of bread in front of her face as if she were an animal. Terezah felt her mouth start to water at the sight of food, but refrained from showing any anticipation.

"Where is your home?" Tyron asked.

Terezah tried not to roll her eyes. She had an act to keep up. "Asg…. Svartal…. Svartalfheim…." She stuttered. She really didn't care where she went. She was constantly on the move and had been to each of the nine realms at least once. She could call any place home.

"Good job." Tyron said with a proud grin and held the piece of bread close enough for her to grab it. She fought back the urge to snatch it and swallow it whole. She gently took it and bit into it, taking her time to eat it.

"Where do you want to live?" Tyron asked.

"In… Asgard… No! Svartalfheim…" She pretended to fight with herself and earned another small piece of bread. She savored every bite, not knowing when the next time she would taste food. Tyron held a small piece of meat in front of her after she had finished her bread.

"Who do you want to be with?" Tyron asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Loki…." She mumbled quietly. He had been the only friend that hadn't stabbed her in the back so far… literally and figuratively.

"What?" He asked, cupping a hand around his ear to indicate for her to speak louder.

"You…" She said slightly louder than her previous answer. Tyron grinned and gave her the meat. She bit off pieces of the chewy substance.

"Let's go over this one more time and I'll give you some water. You are making progress." Tyron told her as if she was a little child. "Where do you want to stay?" He asked her, holding a cup of water in his hand.

"Asg… Here?" She said looking up at him, trying to look as confused as she could. He handed her the cup of water and she quickly gulped it down. When she had drank every last drop of water in the wooden cup, Tyron took it out of her hands. She looked up into his eyes and saw slight madness. Her heart quickened and she started to breathe heavier as he reached his hand slowly towards her and rested it on her the side of her face. His thumb slid gently over her cheek. She let out a shaky breath. She didn't want to go through this again. She winced as she changed positions and her shoulder ached along with her back.

"What's wrong?" Tyron asked with a caring look on his face.

"You hurt me." Terezah flat out told him without hesitation.

"You needed to learn a lesson. You won't be punished as long as you behave." He said with a growing smile tugging at one corner of his mouth. "I love you." He said with a hungry look in his eyes. Terezah tried to scoot away from him, but he held her sore arm with a firm grip. He leaned in closer. She squirmed to get away from him. He placed a kiss on her forehead and slowly kissed his way down to her lips. She tried to push him away, but he was too strong. She scooted backwards until her back finally hit the wall. Her mind was filled with dread.

She sharply turned onto her side, breaking apart from him. She felt his hand on her back, slowly moving up and down as if playing with her. She inhaled sharply and winced as he touched the spot he had kicked days ago. "I'll just take a look." He said as he slid the back of her shirt up, exposing her bare back. She felt his finger trace the long scars on her back that she had gained after he had betrayed her. He applied a little pressure to her injury and she let a small cry of pain escape her lips.

"You'll live." He said, but he didn't let her shirt back down. His hands slowly caressed the scars on her back and ran gently over the injury. Then they went lower, settling on her waist. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to the back of her neck.

"Stop!" She shouted. She forced herself out of his grip and tried to move away from him, but he was angry now. She was away from the wall, so she didn't have anything to support her as he shoved her to the ground and she let out another cry of pain as her back hit the hard floor. She felt his hands wrap around her neck and squeeze. His grip tightened, until she couldn't breathe in any air. She tried desperately to pry his hands away from her neck, but nothing worked. Her lungs started to burn and felt as if they would collapse. She felt lightheaded and started seeing splotches in her vision. "Let…go…" She managed to say with a raspy voice, but that just wasted the last bit of air that was in her lungs. She felt her consciousness slipping away as her lungs ached and felt as though they had been set on fire. Her heart pounded heavily, and her head screamed in pain at the loss of oxygen.

She finally felt the hands slowly let go of her throat and she coughed heavily. She choked on the air that she was desperately trying to fill her lungs with. She placed her hands on her throat, ignoring the immense pain in her shoulder and back. Tears streamed down her face and she felt as if she was going to vomit. She took deep breaths, forcing air back into her lungs.

"I still think you need to learn a lesson." Tyron said. She turned to see his leg swing and his foot dig into her ribs. He did this several times and finally she heard a crack in her ribs. Time slowed down as the pain raged through her torso. She thought about all he had caused her to go through, all that he had done to her while she had been here. Then, she thought about her step-father and how similar this was, and all the times the evil man had made her watch him as he beat her mother mercilessly. She felt but one thing… rage. Using all the energy she had, she jumped to her feet, surprising the large dark elf in front of her. She wouldn't be able to use her legs much, but she could still use her hands, and she had killed many with her hands only.

She ignored the burning pain that spread through her body and focused on the man in front of her. He charged her, trying to knock her to the ground. She used this to her advantage. She grabbed his arm and twisted it sharply until she heard a cracking sound. She did so to his other arm. She broke both of his arms so fast he didn't have time to escape. She twisted around to the back of him and hit a pressure point on his neck, shoulder, and lower back. He fell to the floor, screaming in agony. She stepped on the back of his neck, crushing it. "Where is the key?" She asked in a completely calm voice.

Tyron didn't answer. "All I have to do is bring my foot down in just the right place and I will break your neck faster than you could have told me." She said in a cold voice. Adrenaline rushed through her vanes, pushing away the mere thought of pain.

"In my pocket! In my pocket!" He cried out as she pressed her foot into the back of his neck harder. She reached down and patted his pocket, feeling the key. She pulled it out. Tyron was temporarily immobilized, so she had time to unlock the shackles that were around her ankles. She threw the key into the corner of the room where he wouldn't be able to reach it and quickly clasped the shackles onto his ankles. She turned him over onto his back, ignoring his screams of pain as she did so.

"What are you doing?!" He asked her angrily.

"Something I should have done the first day you put me in here." She said with a cold smile. She brought her foot down in just the right place on his neck and it snapped. He laid there, screaming in pain until finally he lay motionless. She bent down and checked his pulse. He was dead.

She ran out the door and found herself in a small house. She saw her belt in the corner of her eye and quickly grabbed it, slinging it over her shoulder. She bolted out the front door without a second thought. Her heart raced as she ran through the rock field that surrounded the house she was fleeing. Rocks dug into her feet, and soon they were covered in blood, but she couldn't stop running. She had to get away from the house. The adrenaline rush started to wear off and the pain returned suddenly, crippling her. She fell to the ground, cutting her arms even more. She tried to move, but couldn't. The pain was too much. Angry tears flowed down her cheeks.

"Heimdall…" She called weakly. She felt her body being filled with a sudden energy, and she was pulled off the ground. Like all the times she had been transported by the Bifrost, the energy stopped just as quickly as it had started. She looked up at the gatekeeper that was looming over her injured form. Exhaustion took over and finally, her world faded to black.

* * *

Loki walked through the halls of the palace, contemplating on where Terezah could possibly be. She had been gone for two weeks now and Heimdall couldn't see her. It was weird without her there. He was so used to her golden eyes watching him wherever he went that her absence made him uncomfortable. He walked out onto a balcony and watched the rain pouring out of the sky. It was almost winter time in Asgard, and it would be raining nonstop for the next few weeks. A cold wind blew past him and he took in a deep breath of the fresh air.

He watched the birds soaring high in the sky above the palace, battle the wind and rain. Asgard was beautiful no matter what season. "Brother!" Loki turned to see Thor walking out onto the balcony. "Are you not cold?" Thor asked.

"No, I am not. What do you need?" Loki asked turning back to the view of Asgard.

"I came looking for you. I heard a maid talking about you and the Lady Freya." Thor said with a huge grin.

"And what did this maid say?" Loki asked slightly irritated.

"She was talking with her friends about how you and the Lady Freya are no longer courting."

"And why do you need to see me about the matter?" Loki asked even more irritated than before.

"Is it true?" Thor asked.

Loki turned to look at his brother. He reminded Loki of a puppy, begging for food. Loki sighed. "It is. Why is it important?" Loki asked.

"I just wanted to make sure you weren't her lover anymore." Thor said with a grin and turned to leave.

"And why is that?" Loki asked annoyed. He was getting tired of Thor not telling him what he wanted to know.

"She has moved on to me." Thor said slowly without turning around to face him and quickly left. Loki stood there slightly shocked that Freya had moved on so quickly. They had only been apart for two weeks and she had already found another lover. This made him mad. He had been replaced so quickly by someone he had been with for a while. His mother had been right, as she usually was; it wasn't true love.

Any relationship that he had ever had in courting always ended in a similar fashion. They always moved on as if they hadn't ever cared about him. He felt so alone at times. Loki knew Thor loved him, but he was always so busy with Lady Sif and the Warriors Three. Loki wasn't sure Odin even cared for him as he always favored Thor no matter what. Odin never made time for Loki because of his busy schedule as King of Asgard, but he always made time for Thor. No matter what he did, he could never impress the man he called father. The only person who had always been there for him was his mother, Frigga. She would always love him and make time for him.

He watched the grey skies pour rain onto Asgard. Thunder crackled in the distance and lightning shot across the sky, then disappeared. Loki loved the smell of rain. He took in another deep breath. He stepped out of the cover of the balcony slightly, allowing the rain to fall onto him. He quickly retreated back into the cover of the balcony when lightning cracked along the sky close to the palace. He had never liked lightning. He stood on the balcony, enjoying the peace the rain always brought him.

"You want me back yet?" He heard a voice behind him.

Loki sighed in irritation. Another interruption! Couldn't people just leave him alone for more than five minutes?! "No." He said without turning to the woman behind him.

"I finally found someone who treats me like a queen." Freya said in a snide tone.

"Thor? Yes, most women have found pleasure in him. You won't be any different. He will move on once he finds someone else to entertain him. Have fun." Loki shot back. Freya huffed angrily and stormed out of the balcony, leaving him alone once again. He continued to watch the rain, listening to the sound of water hitting metal as it poured onto the palace.

"My Lord!" Loki felt a sudden anger come to him.

"What?!" He asked angrily. "What is it now?! What is so important that I need to be interrupted again?!" He spun around to look at the guard who was standing in the entrance to the balcony.

"We have found Lady Terezah. She is injured and in critical condition." The guard said, looking down at Loki's feet.

Loki couldn't believe it. "Where is she?" He asked, not angry anymore.

"She is in the Healing Halls, My Lord." He said.

Loki rushed past the guard and almost ran down the halls, twisting and turning through the long hallways he had grown up in. He went into the Healing Room and looked around. Finally, he spotted a dark elf lying on a bed, sleeping, while nurses cleaned her up. Loki walked over to the bed and studied the elf. She was skinny, as if she hadn't eaten in days. Her feet were covered in blood, they were bruised and torn apart. Any visible skin was covered in bruises and cuts. Her shoulder was swollen and very red. The healers turned her onto her stomach after they finished bandaging her feet. They looked for any major injuries on the back of her body. They lifter her shirt off, exposing her entire torso except for a black bra. Loki almost turned away, wanting to respect her privacy, but something caught his attention. There was a huge black and yellow welt on her back, but that wasn't what sparked his interest. There were faded lines that ran down her back. The scars were long and thin, and they ran from her shoulder blades to her lower back. There was at most twenty different lines.

"Is there something on my back that you see so interesting?" Terezah asked him weakly.

"You're awake…" Loki said, quickly snapping his attention away from the scars on her back.

"Yes I am, idiot." She said and inhaled sharply as the healers healed all the minor cuts and bruises on her back and arms.

"Is there any way you can't get into trouble?" Loki asked with a sigh.

"Nope. It's part of my job. Follows me everywhere…" She trailed off. She relaxed as the healers used their magic on the giant welt on her back.

"Should I even ask how this happened?" Loki asked sarcastically.

"It was an adventure. Something to go in my memory book for sure." Terezah grinned weakly. The healers flipped her onto her back gently.

Loki avoided looking at her torso and instead focused on her face. "So, what happened?" He asked.

"Got abducted by an old friend, chained up in a cement room, starved, beaten… and stuff like that. He thought you guys brainwashed me to want to go back to Asgard." She said.

"Who was this man?" Loki asked as he watched the healers use their magic on her rib cage.

"My successor as Shadow Warrior. He wasn't very talented though…" She trailed off.

"Well then… don't you enjoy making friends?" He asked with a growing grin.

Terezah chuckled lightly, but it quickly turned into pain as the healers pressed on her shoulder once more. "Yeah... People love me." She said quickly through gritted teeth. "Asgardian magic feels so weird…" She muttered. The two healers that had been working on her pulled her shirt back on her.

"You had some fractured ribs, a torn ligament in your arm and another fracture in your spine. You had many bruises and cuts on your legs, feet, arms, and neck. You also had marks on your throat that suggested choking, and slight damage to that area. Your body is suffering from malnourishment, so you will need to maintain a balanced diet. We have healed most of your injuries, but you will need to get plenty of rest and take it easy." The healer lady said. She bowed to Loki and then left the room.

Terezah sat up, and rubbed her shoulder. She swung her legs off the table and hopped off the table, wincing a little at the pain. Loki watched her walk slowly towards the door. He caught up with her and walked next to her as she walked down the hall barefoot. "I was worried you weren't coming back." Loki said after a few minutes.

Terezah looked at him. "Why?" She asked him.

"You are a dark elf… you don't belong in Asgard, so when I lost track of you on Svartalfheim, I thought you were never going to return."

"You followed me to Svartalfheim?" Terezah asked, suddenly looking a bit worried and disturbed.

"Yes… I wanted to see where you were going in such a hurry." Loki admitted.

"You could have been killed! Don't you know how dangerous that was?!" She asked angrily.

"Yes. I know…."

Terezah didn't let him finish. "You saw everything I did?" She asked him, her golden eyes penetrating his.

Loki sighed. "Yes." He responded.

"You saw my mother's grave?" She asked quietly.

Loki only nodded. Terezah's eyes started to tear up. Loki could only imagine how betrayed she must have felt. "I… don't know what to say." Terezah said looking away from him. She continued walking. Loki walked beside her silently. "I trust you will keep what you saw secret?" She asked him, looking at him with hurt eyes.

"Yes. Not a soul will know." Loki reassured her.

"Thank you." She whispered. They reached her room and she went inside, shutting the door. Loki waited outside her door, thinking over what she had just said. This was all so sudden. She had disappeared and then quickly reappeared. He walked down the halls in deep thought. He walked past many windows. He stopped to look through one. Rain still poured out of the sky, and it had gotten significantly darker than the last time he had seen it. He continued walking, thinking about how hurt she looked.

* * *

Freya watched Loki walk out of the healing halls with the rat. She had been following him all day. It is true she had taken Thor as a lover, and knew he would move on from her as soon as the next woman comes around, but she wanted to see how jealous Loki got. He hadn't even flinched when she watched Thor tell him. Anger boiled into rage and she retreated to her chambers. There was a maid cleaning her room, and she ordered the maid out. She needed some alone time. She paced back and forth, contemplating her next move.

She still wanted Loki but he no longer wanted her. She went to her dresser and rummaged through the clothes. She pulled out a cloth and unwrapped it. She took the poison covered dagger from it and smiled at her reflection in the polished surface of the blade. It was time to lay her plan into action. It was time to win back Loki's heart which she had failed at keeping from the rat. She pulled on a cloak and flipped the hood up, casting a shadow over her face. She hid the dagger in the folds of the cloak and walked out the doors of her chamber, the cloak flowing behind her. The rat was going to pay, and Freya couldn't wait to watch the rat's face when she was sentenced to death. _Loki is mine. You will learn that the hard way rat! _She thought to herself triumphantly as she walked down the hall towards the rooms where the court members lived. _You will pay._

* * *

**Freya is creepy... Anyways, I actually had to look up how to relocate your shoulder, so it is accurate! Poor Terezah... She has no idea what is coming in her near future. I know it must sound as if I say this A LOT, but please comment! You can comment even if you don't have an account on here. I know there are a lot of people who think you have to have an account to comment, but you don't! THANK YOU for the comments so far! I love them so much and it feels great to have people review my story. Lots of Loves! :D**


	17. Chapter 17

Terezah nocked an arrow and let it fly. It slid into the bright red target with a thud. Rain continued to pour around her. The ground was only slightly muddy, so she didn't mind. All the other training rings were empty. Nobody liked to practice in the rain. This emptiness gave Terezah time to think, alone. She conjured another arrow and nocked it. She watched as the arrow zipped away from her and in an instant buried itself into a different target. She adjusted her arm guard to fit more comfortably. She always wore an arm guard and gloves, so they were always perfectly adjusted, but losing so much weight had made it hard to adjust her equipment. She would eventually fit the arm guard, but for now, she tried to tighten it so it would fit better. She had gotten back only yesterday, and she was tired of 'taking it easy' so she had decided to practice archery.

She nocked another arrow and aimed, letting it go. It sunk into its target perfectly like the other arrows. She had her hood up on her black cloak, protecting her from the pouring rain. She took a deep breath of the rain filled air and nocked another arrow. She was using her shape-shifting staff which was currently a bow. Rain ran down its black polished surface and dripped in a small stream onto the ground. She conjured another arrow and nocked it. Before she let go, she looked up at the grey sky. It was so peaceful. She enjoyed the rain more than she would ever enjoy sunshine. Perhaps it was because a rain storm reminded her of her mother. Her mother had always loved the rain. Terezah remembered sitting on her mother's lap, looking out the window of their small house on their hill. As the rain poured out of the sky and the thunder shook the ground, she remembered a conversation she had with her mother when they had been happy.

"_Mom… I'm scared…" She jumped as lightning split the sky, followed by a sickening crack._

"_Come sit on my lap and tell me what you fear." Her mother said with a warm smile. She sat on a wooden rocking chair by a window, watching the rain dance on the ground. The grey clouds wouldn't let a drop of sunlight through their cover. Terezah shuffled over to where her mother sat and hopped onto her lap. Thunder rumbled once more, making a deafening sound. Thunder storms on Svartalfheim were known to be particularly loud. "Are you afraid of the storm?" Her mother asked. _

_Terezah nodded. _

_Her mother paused in thought as she continued to watch the rain outside. "Rain is my favorite thing. Do you know why, my dear?" Her mother asked. _

"_Why?" Terezah's tiny voice asked._

"_Because it can teach you how to dance." Her mother said with a warm smile. Terezah looked up at her mother absolutely confused. This made her mother laugh. _

"_Rain can't teach you how to dance!" Terezah said, crinkling her nose. _

_Her mother chuckled heartily before continuing. "Yes it can! See the way it dances with the ground? See how it mixes with the dirt, swirling and jumping? Watch how it falls out of the skies, making puddles where it dances even more. Watch the rain dance my little flower." _

"Watch the rain dance." Terezah muttered. She gently released the pressure on the arrow, and it hung limp on the bow, still nocked. She dropped the bow to her side and tilted her head to look up at the sky. She watched the rain pour out of the dark grey clouds. The cold rain trickled down her face. Her hood fell off her head as she tilted her head even more towards the sky. She took in a deep breath of air, taking in the smell of rain. She looked back down and watched the rain meet the ground, jumping, swirling, and dancing. Her mother was right, the rain did indeed teach you how to dance.

* * *

Loki watched the dark figure in the middle of a training ring down below his balcony. Terezah shot another arrow into a target. He didn't know how she could stand practicing out in the pouring rain. He went back into his room and sat on his bed. He pulled out a book and tried to read. He was so bored. There was nothing to do. He had tried participating in Thor's conversation with his friends, but Freya had been there, almost bragging about her relationship with Thor, so he had tired of the conversation quickly.

Loki sighed in frustration and closed his book, setting it on the desk next to his bed. He left his chambers and went out into the hallway. As he walked through the hallways aimlessly, he decided to visit Terezah. He hadn't talked to her since she had shut the door on him after he had confessed to watching her mourn. He had to talk to her some time, and now was the perfect time, seeing as he wasn't busy at all. He walked out into the rain and towards the training rings. The freezing cold rain started to soak his hair, but he didn't mind the cold. He finally saw Terezah, but he was slightly confused at what he saw.

She was standing there, her hood down and the rain drenching her. She was staring at the ground while she clutched her bow in one hand. There was still an arrow nocked in the bow, so she must have stopped before she fired. Did she see something that he didn't? He stared at the spot she was so evidently fixed on, but saw nothing but puddles.

"Terezah?" He asked slowly.

Her gaze snapped towards him and she lowered her bow which she had raised in alarm. "Loki… what are you doing out here?" She stuttered.

"Just came to talk." He said as he neared her. The rain continued to beat down on the both of them, but neither of them seemed to notice.

"About what?" She asked, almost uninterested. She raised the bow and pulled back on the arrow, releasing it. It shot into the nearest target with a thud.

"About me following you to Svartalfheim." He said.

"What about it? You followed me, watched me while I was at my mother's grave, and then you continued to follow me after that." She said in frustration, staring at another target as she nocked an arrow. She pulled back quickly, letting the arrow fly at frightening speed. It almost seemed that the arrows went faster the angrier she was.

"I came to apologize…" He said, battling his urge to turn and leave her standing in the rain.

She turned to him with a fake shocked expression on her face. "What?! The God of Mischief has come to apologize? That's unheard of!" She said sarcastically. When he didn't continue, she spoke again. "I'm sorry… that was rude." She said quickly and turned back to face the targets. Loki placed a hand on her shoulder, and turned her to face him.

"I am sorry. I should not have watched you mourn at your mother's grave." He said with all sincerity. She stared up into his eyes, her golden eyes searching his for any sign of a lie. Terezah sighed and Loki felt his heart quicken. He hardly ever apologized, so it was hard for him. Was this part of the apologizing process? Then, the dark elf embraced him. Loki stood there, completely shocked. He slowly wrapped his arms around her and held her. She pulled away after a while and nocked another arrow. Loki turned away and started to walk back towards the palace. Guards rushed past him and surrounded Terezah. He spun around to see Terezah looking around frantically at the palace guards who were circling around her. There had to be at least twenty.

"Stand down!" One of the guards said. They all had spears and swords pointed at her.

Terezah's eyes narrowed as they shifted from one soldier to another. She slowly turned, looking at all the soldiers. Some of them shivered in fear as her gaze rested upon them. "And what is this for?" She asked.

"For the murder of Councilman Freyr, you are hereby charged with murder. You will come quietly to be taken before the King or we can take you by force." The same guard shouted.

Loki watched Terezah nervously. He didn't doubt she could take all of them, but he silently hoped she wouldn't. He didn't want her to cause any more trouble than she was apparently already in. Their eyes met. Her golden eyes widened in confusion. She almost asked him silently what she should do. Loki slowly shook his head, looking away from her. He heard her bow clatter to the ground and the palace guards all rushed in at once. Loki watched as she was taken away in chains, surrounded by the guards.

_What is happening?! _Loki thought angrily to himself. He could have done something! He followed the guards who took her down to the dungeon. They stripped her of all her weapons and roughly shoved her into a cell. After all but four guards departed, Loki slowly walked over to her cell. "What has happened?" He asked one of the remaining guards who was guarding her cell.

"The body of Councilman Freyr was found in his chambers. He had been impaled through the heart with a black elven dagger which contained a poison on it which only originates from Svartalfheim. We searched the dark elf's room and found matching daggers and the exact same poison. She is to be judged by the King, but the punishment for murdering a Council member is death, My Lord." The guard explained. Loki looked at Terezah who was slumped against the wall, her head tilted back and her eyes closed.

"Terezah. Did you do this?" Loki asked. She tilted her head up slowly and looked at him.

"I am not that sloppy." She said coldly. "Someone has set me up. Choose to believe me or not, but I would not leave such evidence." She said, now completely fixed on him. Loki was curious at her sudden change in attitude.

"How do you always manage to get yourself into these situations? You came back only yesterday!" Loki said.

"It's part of the job." She said with a small smile and then closed her eyes again, leaning her head against the wall.

* * *

Terezah tried to contemplate who would frame her. She had never even met this Councilman who she had apparently killed. Loki was right… How did she always end up in some sort of trouble? She had been in the cell for nearly three hours by her guess, and they still hadn't come to retrieve her. Who would frame her?

"So… You did get in trouble after all?" A man asked. Terezah looked up at him and was shocked to see it was the same guard she had 'assaulted' at the market that one day.

"Apparently." She said slowly.

"We wouldn't want a killer like you on the loose. It's a good thing you'll be dead by tomorrow morning. Tell me, are you afraid to die?" He sneered.

She closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the wall. "In my line of work, death could come in the next minute, in the next hour, in the next day… I have been prepared to die since I started my career. We all die eventually." She told the guard.

The guard fell silent and quickly left her alone. The guard was obviously not smart enough to pull off a murder and frame her for it. Who did she know that hated her? She chuckled at this thought… A lot of people hated her. Who in Asgard though? That guard was out of the picture… Freya was the only other person she could think of. Freya could barely lift a sword right, but she was incredibly smart…. Terezah thought about how Freya had been acting lately. Freya always acted weird, but she seemed to be hiding something. This wasn't proof enough though.

The golden force field faded and guards stepped into the room. "The King will see you now." One of them said. They pulled her to her feet and walked her quickly to the throne room. As Terezah waited outside the throne room, she wondered if she would die today. The doors opened, and she was forced to enter. As she walked into the room, she was met with many looks of hate and disgust. She was halted before the gigantic throne. She looked up at Odin.

"Is this your dagger?" He asked her. A guard near her showed her a black dagger that was indeed one of hers.

"Yes." She replied.

"The poison found on this dagger comes only from Svartalfheim, and a vial was found in your room. How do you explain this?" Odin asked her.

"I brought the poison here. The vial is mine. I own that dagger, but I was not the one who killed the Councilman." She replied.

"How do we know you are not the one who killed the Councilman?" Odin asked.

"I am not one to leave evidence such as that." She replied calmly. She listened to the sudden erupt of whispers that raged throughout the room. Odin slammed his staff onto the ground, and there was sudden silence.

"Did you know Freyr?" A Councilwoman asked.

"No." Terezah said.

"Have you ever seen him?" The lady asked.

"No." Terezah said again.

"But this is your weapon?" The lady asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Yes." Terezah replied.

* * *

Freya watched the rat defend herself, betraying no fear. She had hoped the rat would at least be scared. Her mouth twisted into a smile as Odin reluctantly sentenced her to death. The rat was taken out of the room in chains.

Her plan had succeeded! Loki would be free again and she would be able to live life the way she had before the rat. Revenge was sweet. She shifted her gaze to Loki, and was caught off guard. He looked sad and angry. She had expected him to simply let go like he had done to her. Now he was standing there, looking confused and hurt. This was her chance. Loki started to walk out of the room and she trailed behind him, waiting for her chance. He stopped to look out a window. She hurriedly hugged him from behind. He jumped a little, and after she released him, he turned towards her.

"What do you want?" The tall prince asked.

Freya's heart jumped. "I'm so sorry about the rat…" She whispered and hugged him again, burying her face in his chest. Slowly, she felt his arms wrap around her and he kissed the top of her head. She looked up into his ice-blue eyes. Loki was hers again, she was certain of it. Then, he pulled away and turned to look out the window again.

"What's wrong?" She asked, trying to contain her irritation. He had pushed her away again!

"Terezah was just sentenced to death!" He hissed.

"Do you care more for her than me?" She asked quietly.

"Like I have already told you, I no longer wish to pursue this relationship. You have Thor now, and I am not one to take my own brother's lover!" He said angrily.

Freya couldn't help it. She felt so disappointed and outraged that he still rejected her. "Then live your life alone, because nobody would ever care for one such as yourself! Your heart is cold and nobody cares for you! One day you'll look around and see that nobody is there for you, and you WILL regret letting me go!" She shouted and turned sharply on her heel. The rat was to blame! The rat had stolen Loki from her!

A few days passed and the time came for the rat's execution. She watched from a balcony as the dark elf was dragged out into the field. She was tied to a pillar and blindfolded. Freya grinned as an archer nocked an arrow, aiming it at the rat's head. The arrow was released, and time seemed to slow down for Freya as she enjoyed every moment. The arrow pierced the elf's neck, and blood went everywhere. The elf screamed only shortly before she hung on the pillar, lifeless. Freya never felt happier watching the rat's life drain away. _Finally… the assassin has died. _Her smile grew. The rat had died a shameful death and nobody had suspected it had been the Goddess of Love and Beauty who was the real culprit. She turned and went back into the palace. Time to 'comfort' Loki.

* * *

**I know what you peoples are thinking... "DID TEREZAH JUST DIE?!" The answer is yes... she did die. You might also be thinking, "I should comment and tell the author how I feel about this story! I should also follow and/or favorite too!" Haha :D You should focus on that last one. Anyways... I hope you enjoyed this chapter. :D I know! I have a strange sense of humor!**


	18. Chapter 18

Terezah paced back and forth in her cell. She had just been sentenced to death and there was a slight sinking feeling in her stomach. Loki hadn't been to visit her… so he must think her the foe. She sat down on the floor against the wall. _It seems I have escaped one prison to be moved to the next. _She thought to herself glumly. She looked out into the hall. There were prisoners in the cell across the hall from her. They were making faces at her and taunting her. She rolled her eyes and looked away, deciding to ignore them.

The dungeon in Asgard was by far the most interesting one she had been in so far. She had been captured many times while on missions for the Dark Elf Queen, but they had all been dirty, dark, and cold. All the cells here were a pure white color, and gold force-fields acted as the door to the cells. The halls were golden just as they were in the palace above. Guards remained outside of her cell to ensure she stayed there. Minutes passed into hours, and hours passed into days. She thought constantly about who would frame her, but came up with nothing. She walked the border of her cell many times. Finally, the force field to her cell dropped. She turned to see Odin standing in front of her. Did Odin talk to all prisoners sentenced to death?

"I have a mission for you." Odin said.

"With all due respect… I thought I was sentenced to die…" Terezah said, slightly confused.

"I am no fool. You were not the one who killed the court member. If you wish to live, you can accept the task I have planned out for you." Odin said.

"What sort of task?" Terezah asked skeptically.

"You are to go as a secret operative to Alfheim. I believe there may be something dark there. Something that has taken root in the heart of the light elves. Your task is to confirm if this is true. Do you accept?" Odin asked.

Terezah thought about this. She had always tried to keep herself as far away from voodoo stuff as she could. She had encountered ancient magic before and the stuff freaked her out. _Anything was better than death though… right? Odin just believes that there could be something there. _"I accept." She replied.

"Nobody will be able to know that you live after tomorrow. Do you understand?"

"Yes. How am I to die though?" She asked.

"We have another female prisoner who needs to be executed. She will be disguised and take your place. You will be retrieved at the same time as your execution and taken to the Bifrost. There, you will be supplied with all the weapons and equipment you will need." Odin said and then turned around to leave.

"Could you make sure I get my shape-shifting staff? I dropped it when the guards arrested me the other day in the sparring fields. It was in the shape of a black bow." She said. Odin nodded and stepped outside of her cell and left. The force field powered up again, and she was left alone, the guards departing with Odin. _Sorry Hel, you won't be getting this warrior today. _She thought with a smirk. She was pretty sure that's where she would go, considering all the lives she had taken. She sat against the wall and closed her eyes. She should get some rest. After all, tomorrow was her execution.

* * *

**You didn't really think she was dead, did you? Haha... If so, I had you fooled! Anyways :D What is going to happen next? What does Loki think about Terezah's death? What will happen to Terezah on Alfheim? You'll have to find out in the next chapter! I hope you liked this chapter and sorry if it was super short. **


	19. Chapter 19

Loki was sitting in his favorite spot in the library. He turned the page of a book and began to read the first sentence. It was completely quiet in the library. Afternoon light shone through the window behind him, covering him in a sad grey light because of the heavy rain clouds outside. He repositioned himself on his chair. His head was pounding a little, but he ignored it. Anything to get his mind off of what had happened only a few hours ago.

"Lokitty?" Someone whispered.

"What do you want?" He asked angrily. He was getting sick of Freya stalking him.

"Are you alright?" She asked in a concerned voice.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Loki asked irritated.

"I assumed you would be upset over the rat's death." Freya responded, sitting on a chair next to him.

"She is not a rat! Was…. She was not a rat!" He nearly shouted.

Freya smiled and this sent chills down his back. Why was she smiling? Was she smiling at the pain he was trying so hard to hide? "I was just worried about you, that's all." She said, staring into his eyes caringly.

"Stop worrying because I'm fine. I am trying to read, please leave." He said slowly, trying not to lose patience.

Freya pouted a little. "After all I did for you, and you're just going to turn me away?" She hissed.

Loki was confused. "What did you do for me?" He asked skeptically.

"I got rid of the rat! She's gone now! You don't have to be afraid to come back to me!" She shouted, tears streaming down her face.

"What do you mean you got rid of her?" Loki asked.

Freya blinked several times. "Did I say that?" She asked.

"What do you mean you got rid of her?!" Loki asked again, venom seeping into his voice.

"Nothing! I didn't say that!" She said quickly.

"You are lying to the God of Mischief… not a good play." Loki said coldly. "Let me ask again… what do you mean you got rid of her?" He asked slowly.

Freya looked away from him, focusing on something in the distance. "I did it for you." She whispered, tears streaming out of her eyes as she stared into space. "I did it for you…" She said again.

"You. Did. What?!" Loki asked as forceful as he could.

"She's gone now! Does it matter?"

"Yes. I just lost one of the only friends I've ever had, and you played a role in it."

"I never said that!" Freya protested.

"Okay. Leave me then. I need to read." Loki said, turning back to his book, shutting her out. After a few minutes of angry words flowing out of Freya's mouth, she finally left. Loki tried to focus on his book, but couldn't. Freya's words rang in his head. Had she done something? The pounding in his head grew to a massive headache. Reading wasn't helping, so he decided to go to the dining halls. Hopefully his brother wouldn't be there to make it worse.

He shut his book and placed it on the top of a pile of books near his spot and stood up. He took a moment to stretch before starting to walk to the dining halls. Outside, rain poured, and it had gotten colder with winter on its way. He stopped momentarily to look through the window, but all he saw was the grey bleakness of the clouds. He rubbed his forehead, trying to ease his headache, but it didn't work. He continued walking down the hall, only to feel the absence of the golden eyes which had been trained on him for so long. He still couldn't accept that she was gone. Why did he care? She had been a simple bodyguard who he had shared a few moments with. She murdered someone and got punished for it.

He remembered Terezah's response. "_I'm not that sloppy." _It wasn't right. An assassin of her skill level wouldn't leave that much evidence. But who had killed Freyr then?

All these thoughts made his head pound even more, so he stopped thinking about it. He walked into the dining hall and was pleased to find only Sif there. At least Sif wasn't as bad as Thor. He got a glass of water and sat down on the end of the table, opposite of her. He took a sip of the water, feeling no relief from his headache.

"Are you alright? You don't look well." Sif informed him.

"I am fine."

"A bit grouchy, aren't we?" Sif taunted.

"Not in the mood, Sif." He muttered, taking another sip of water.

Sif continued. "I can't believe Terezah would do something like that…"

"She wouldn't." Loki snapped.

Sif raised a surprised eyebrow. "What do you mean she wouldn't? The evidence was clear enough."

Loki sighed at her stupidity. "You do know she was an assassin, right?" He didn't even know why he was bothering to explain his theories to Sif of all people. He might as well be telling Thor as they were both equally… bright…

"Yes. I assumed the way she attacked Volstagg and I on Muspelheim that she had experience with that sort of stuff…" Sif said.

"What you didn't know is that she has been in that line of work for centuries. Do you really think she would leave such obvious evidence?"

Sif seemed to be pondering his question. Loki rolled his eyes and took another sip of his water. His head hadn't stopped pounding, but at least it had decreased a little. "I don't think she would…" Sif finally said. That was the end of their conversation. Loki finished his glass of water and sat there. Thankfully, Sif left the room shortly after.

He was still getting over the shock of Terezah being dead. Any moment she would pop up behind him and scare him half to death, saying it had all been a prank. But she didn't. He suddenly felt angry. It had happened so fast! He had watched as the arrow had pierced her neck during the execution, but something felt wrong. Something was wrong about all of this. There was something missing still. He balanced the cup on its edge as he thought. He stared at the rain which was pouring outside. His heart felt heavy and almost seemed to ache, which was something he had never experienced before. He had never lost anyone close to him. He was so used to her golden eyes watching him. Did he miss her? Perhaps…

His thoughts were interrupted when Thor came charging into the room. "Brother! I hoped to find you in your chambers or the library with your books, but it appears as I had just given up hope I found you!" Thor said with a grin escaping onto his face. It quickly disappeared as he took a closer look at Loki. "Do you fare well?" He asked. Loki couldn't help but think about how blind Thor was. Loki was obviously upset, yet Thor didn't even notice. This didn't surprise Loki… Thor spent more time with his friends than he ever did with his own brother.

"Yes." Loki said sarcastically, but Thor didn't seem to notice. "Pirates attacked a village that is quite a ways to the west. Father wants us to go and help the villagers, and also see if we can catch any of these pillagers." Thor said.

_Great… just what else I needed today…. _"Do I have to go?" Loki asked glumly.

"Yes! It will be a chance for us to prove our strength!" Thor boasted loudly.

"Won't that be a thrill?" Loki asked sarcastically.

"Come brother! We are leaving now." Thor said and turned around to leave, but quickly grabbed a piece of meat on the way out the door. After a few minutes, Loki stood up and left the dining rooms. He walked passed Freya's room. _"I got rid of the rat!" _Her words from earlier echoed in his mind, and he couldn't help but give in to his curiosity. He knocked on her door, and when nobody answered, he opened the door with his magic. He stepped into the finely decorated room. It seemed innocent enough, but her words from earlier said otherwise. He looked casually around the room, and saw nothing of interest. Her room was clean and orderly, nothing out of place… except for one thing. It caught the corner of his eye, just as we was walking out of the room. He walked over to her dresser and bent down, picking up a small white cloth. It was odd for something to be out of place in a room so tidy. He noticed nothing unusual about it. He remembered Terezah talking to him about poisons one day. She had instructed him on how to recognize a poison, and had even shown him a spell for poisons that could not be sensed otherwise.

He muttered the spell, and a faint black trace appeared on the rag. It was poison. Why would Freya have poison on a rag in her room? He heard the voice of Freya coming towards the room. She entered the room, and so did a maid. Freya was gossiping about various things and the maid was listening intently. Loki quickly turned invisible as they entered the room. He slipped out the door, taking the rag with him. He hurriedly took it back to his room and put it in his desk drawer along with a black arrow and a book on Svartalfheim. He ran quickly to the stables to find a rather impatient Thor and his friends waiting for him. Some guards accompanied them to the village. Loki couldn't stop thinking about all the mystery surrounding Freya… What had she been up to? He tried to deny the growing evidence, but couldn't. Had Freya been the one who killed Freyr?

* * *

Terezah smiled happily to herself as she walked down the street. She had been on Alfheim for two weeks now. She was wearing one of the dresses Loki had bought her a long time ago. She still had daggers strapped everywhere on her person, but they were all concealed by the white dress she wore. It flowed around her body perfectly, ending with a golden trim at the bottom and along her neck line and sleeves. She had her special staff shrunken down into a black ring which she now wore around her right ring finger. Of course, she was under the illusion spell which made her look like a light elf. She fit in perfectly with the crowded market place, filled with light elves.

She hadn't found a trail of ancient, voodoo, evil magic stuff so far. Odin had told her there was dark magic on Alfheim that she needed to find when she had gotten to the Bifrost. She half wondered if Odin was just trying to get rid of her. She walked through the market place, weaving through the light elves. She had been to Alfheim a couple times… to assassinate people… but the beauty of the planet never ceased to amaze her. It was bright and sunny, beautiful green tress surrounded the small village she was in. A summer breeze blew through the market, birds sang, wildlife could be seen in the surrounding hills. The buildings were golden, just like Asgard, but the buildings here were majestic and stunning just like its people.

She wore a talisman that would buzz if it neared anything that possessed dark, ancient, voodoo magic. Suddenly, it buzzed. She held the talisman, trying to feel the vibrations better. She studied her surroundings more intently, but saw nothing out of place. The buzzing started to fade. She slowly walked forward and the buzzing got stronger. She took a few steps back and it got weaker. She hurried forwards, almost running, the buzzing continued to get stronger and stronger. She looked down at the talisman. Then, she ran into somebody.

"I'm so sorry!" She apologized quickly. The man she had run into looked down at her, a look of confusion spread over his face.

"Do I know you?" He asked.

Terezah stared more intently at his features… he did look familiar. Maybe she had fought him before.

"I don't think so." She replied, staring curiously at him. The talisman vibrated strongly now. It was obvious this man was the source of the dark magic she had found. Then, she noticed something odd about him… his ears were long and pointy. Light elves were known for their _short _and pointy ears. He had long ears like her own. Something was not right.

The man looked to be in his early fifties. He had piercing blue eyes and was rather tall. He was studying her as well. "Those eyes…" He whispered. Recognition donned in his face and he quickly stumbled away from her. "Vira?" He asked.

"What?!" Terezah asked, confused and disturbed that he knew her mother's name. "How do you know my mother's name?" She asked.

The man turned pale all of the sudden. Before she knew it, he bolted away from her as fast as he could. The buzzing from the talisman started to fade. She sprinted after him. So many questions clouded her thoughts as she ran. Soon, the man was out of sight, vanished into the busy market place. She stopped in the middle of an intersection. Elves looked at her, giving her quizzical looks before walking past her. Her golden eyes darted around. The buzzing from the talisman had stopped completely. What had just happened? How did that man know her mother?

She couldn't use her tracking spell that illuminated footprints without drawing attention. She had gotten a good look at the man, but there were so many elves here! Any tracks he would have made were already covered by other tracks from elves walking about. She sighed in frustration. She had lost her only lead, and that lead had known her mother. She would have to search for the man. She knew him from somewhere… He was so familiar, and the fact that she couldn't recognize him made her angrier than she already was.

* * *

Zaos ran as fast as he could. He had to get away from Terezah. Memories of him cruelly beating the little elf girl and her mother flooded into his memory. Those were times he had tried desperately to forget. He ran up the steps of his house and shut the door, quickly locking it. He was afraid to face her. He had watched the little girl cry in terror as Vira flung herself in front of the little elf girl. As he had looked into Terezah's eyes just moments ago as she studied him, and he had panicked. What if she had come seeking revenge?

"Grandpa!" Two little voices shrieked happily.

He chuckled nervously, glancing out the window, looking for Terezah. Not seeing her, he turned to meet his wife who pulled him into a hug.

"Siri is over. She brought Sirlu and Jec." His wife said. He looked at the little twins who were now clinging to his legs.

"She didn't mention stopping for a visit!" He chided happily, trying harder to push away the thoughts about Terezah.

"How was work?" His wife asked, walking into the kitchen.

"Uh… it was great." He said.

"Are you alright? You seem a bit shaken up." His wife said, looking at him with caring eyes.

"I-I'm fine…" He stuttered. He didn't realize his hands were shaking until Sirlu grabbed his hand and looked up at him with her sweet innocent eyes.

"You're funny!" Sirlu giggled.

"Dad, you're home!" He heard his daughter say. His daughter pulled the giggling twins off of him, trying to calm them down. "Jec! You are not being a good boy! Sirlu! Stop pinching your brother!" Siri said, slightly frustrated.

Zaos watched his family. He thought about how he had met his wife. After killing Vira in his drunken rage, he had moved to the farthest city on Svartalfheim he had been able to manage. He had lived on the streets for only a year before he had met a Sorcerer. The sorcerer had offered to turn him into a light elf so that he could escape life on Svartalfheim. He had accepted, and went through a portal to Alfheim. When he arrived on Alfheim, he had accidentally bumped into a woman. They fell in love and had gotten married a few years later. When Siri was born, he started to treat his wife and Siri like he had treated his past family. He strove to break that part of him, and eventually he had learned to control his anger. But, not a day went by without the guilt of what he had done to Vira and Terezah. He couldn't comprehend what he had put the little elf girl through, so he had forced himself to forget about it… until today.

"I'm glad you're home." Siri said with a smile. She hugged her father.

"Yes. I see you brought my favorite grandchildren!" He said, picking up the twins and hugging them tightly against his chest.

"They're your only grandchildren." Siri said with a small giggle.

Zaos set the twins back down and they raced off as soon as their feet hit the floor. "Where's Tanyl?" He asked.

"He went on a business trip. I won't be seeing him for another week." Siri informed him. A loud crash echoed from the other room and the sound of the twins fighting carried through the walls. Siri whipped around and stormed into the room the crash had originated from. "NO!" He heard Siri yell.

His wife chuckled. "I see they got into one of our potted plants. They sure are a handful." She said as she leaned her head on his shoulder.

"Yes. They certainly are hyper." Zaos muttered.

After a moment's pause, his wife looked up at him. "What is wrong? The way you came in the door like that, you looked… terrified…" She said with a concerned look.

Zaos sighed. "Remember how I told you about my past… mistakes… with my past family?" He asked.

"Yes." She admitted. It was not a topic they liked to talk about. He knew she had decided to give him a chance at the start of their relationship, but he always wondered what she thought of him after he had told her.

"I ran into someone on the streets today. It was… It was my daughter." He replied silently. "She looked like a light elf, but it was her. Her eyes… they were just like her mother's. She looked like an exact replica of Vira. When I mentioned Vira, she asked me how I knew her mother's name. I just… I couldn't face her, so I ran." His voice fell almost to a whisper.

His wife wrapped her arms around him and hugged him for a long time. He would do anything to protect his family. Anything.

* * *

Terezah's eyes shot open. It was the middle of the night. She was sleeping in a tree, which she was oddly used to. She was covered in cold sweat, panting heavily. Another nightmare had plagued her dreams, but that was not what had startled her awake. She knew who the man was. He was the monster who had killed her mother. He was the monster who had beat her and her mother daily. She hopped down from the tree. The streets were bare, and not an elf was to be seen. Rage ran like venom through her vanes. Pure hatred clouded her eyes. She muttered her tracking spell, putting as much magic as she could into it. Her energy was drained significantly, but faint blue tracks appeared on the ground. She followed them to a house. As she looked at the house, all she could think about was the monster that was inside. A monster who would not live to see tomorrow.

* * *

**Loki is starting to put the pieces together. Freya is being the nice person that she is. Terezah just found out where her step-father lives and is in the mood to strangle him. Should Terezah kill him, leave him alive but not forgive him, or forgive him completely after she's sees how he's changed? Let me know what you think. If you don't, I'll have to decided. Anyways, hope you enjoyed this chapter! **A couple things I want to point out that maybe I didn't make clear enough in the chapter. Sirlu is a girl and Jec is a boy. When you imagine Alfheim, imagine Rivendell off of Lord of the Rings... that is a pretty good comparison. If you haven't watched LOTR just look up Rivendell on the internet and you'll get the idea. Also, Zaos is Terezah's step-father if you didn't catch that. Vira is Terezah's mother... I hope I made that clear. :D****


	20. Chapter 20

Loki walked through the frantic village. His heart had sunken slightly when he found out it was the same village he went to with Terezah all those months ago. He was walking along the exact same path he and Terezah had walked. He looked at the ground where her black shadow had once touched the smooth grey street. It had been weird without her so far. Loki didn't know why he should care about her death. Maybe it was because of the absence of those golden eyes he had gotten so used to, or the way she would threaten to shove a dagger down his throat sometimes, or the mystery and anger that had constantly surrounded her… Maybe he did indeed miss the assassin. But she was never coming back. She was dead. Gone.

Loki felt slightly hurt. It was almost as if he blamed her for something. He knew she hadn't been the one to kill the Court member, but she had still been killed. She could have easily escaped! She could have argued her way out of it, or kept her weapons locked up tighter! His hands clenched into fists as he continued walking through the village. His thoughts continued their rampage and he hardly noticed his surroundings as he contemplated why she hadn't tried harder. A pang of guilt hit him as he realized he could have helped her out. He knew she hadn't done it, and he could have sided with her when the Court had turned against her.

Most of the buildings in the market place he was currently walking through were on fire or scorched. Almost all of the windows in all the buildings were broken. There were people missing, possessions gone, people mourning the death of their loved ones. It was a sad sight.

He walked past the exact same stables he had used when he had come here months ago. An old woman was inside, trying to lead a frightened horse into a stall. He hurriedly went into the stall to help her. He spoke some soothing words to the horse, using his magic to help calm the frightened animal. After a minute he was able to lead the horse into the stall and shut the door. The old woman thanked him. Then, she said something he hadn't expected to hear. "Where is the dark elf, my lord?" She asked respectfully.

"Why would you want to know?" He asked, staring at the woman, slight anger creeping into his voice. How dare this woman ask such a question!

"Forgive my intrusion. She saved me from a guard months ago, and I was surprised to not see her here. I thought she would come, my lord."

As she explained, Loki recognized the lady as the one Terezah had told him about. The one she had saved. How could he get mad at someone Terezah had risked her life for? Especially a kind old woman who only wanted to inquire information about her hero. "She is dead. She was put on trial for the murder of a Court member and executed." Loki sighed. He still couldn't believe it.

The woman's expression turned to shock and sadness. "I can't see her doing such a thing. She saved me." The woman muttered.

"She was framed." Loki almost whispered. He thought about it. She had been framed by someone who hated her, knew where her stuff was, had known her long enough to study her fighting technique, knew where the Court members lived and would have gotten passed the guards without having to use force. Then, the pieces clicked. Freya, the rag, the murder, Freya's angry words…. Freya. Sudden anger seized him. His jaw tightened and his hands clenched into tight fists.

"I am sorry, my lord." The lady said quickly and fell to her knees, begging forgiveness.

He pulled her to her feet. "It is not you who should be asking forgiveness." He said and left the stables. He had to get back to the palace as quickly as he could. He also had to stay and help as it was his duty. The faster they got this mess sorted through, the faster he would be able to question Freya. He shuddered to think he had kissed the lips of the person who had murdered Terezah. Any respect that he had left for Freya instantly vanished.

* * *

Loki had been helping the village and tracking down the pirates for almost a month. He had gotten back earlier that day, and had immediately set off to find Freya. He walked swiftly through the halls. He searched her room, but she wasn't there. She wasn't in the dining halls, throne room, with her friends, in the library, at the sparing rings… he had even gone to her house and their "spot". He had searched the entire palace. Then, he realized he hadn't searched the gardens. He quickly walked, almost ran, to the gardens.

The royal gardens were absolutely stunning, even though they were withering away as winter approached. The trees were golden and red, the flowers offered up their last bit of beauty before they would die, and the birds and bees were making their last rounds through the garden before they hid away for the winter. The air was crisp and slightly cool. A breeze blew gently through the garden, stirring the fallen leaves. The breeze blew in the fresh scent of autumn, carrying with it the aroma of a storm that would soon come. As he walked through the gardens, he searched for Freya. He looked through the massive gardens for almost an hour before finally spotting the woman. When she saw him, her eyes brightened, but quickly dimmed as she realized he was angry.

"Lokitty… what brings you out here?" She asked him. "Have you come to take me back?" She added hopefully.

"I know what you have done. I figured it out." He said, rage filling his voice.

"What are you talking about?" She asked slightly confused, looking at him with innocent eyes.

"You were the one who killed Councilman Freyr. Weren't you?" He asked, glaring at her.

"What?! You are blaming me?! The rat was the one who did it, and she has already been punished!" She defended.

"I have been thinking about why Terezah would possibly leave so much evidence when she has had centuries of training to be stealthy. As I thought about this, our conversation in the library earlier this week started my suspicions." Freya tried to interrupt, but he ignored her, continuing. "Then, I went into your room and found a rag that was covered in a poison by your dresser! How do you explain that?"

"Terezah threatened me and dropped the rag while she was in my chambers. I don't know why she had it. She probably left the evidence behind just to show how much she hates you. I said I got rid of the rat because I tried to discourage her from taking you, and now she is gone! I would never kill a COURT member!" She said angrily.

"Lying to the God of Mischief… I thought you knew me better than that." Loki spat. "What did you do?! No lies!" He demanded.

"Why should I tell you? You don't love me anymore!" She pouted.

"If I had truly loved you I would still love you. If you don't tell me I'll be forced to lock you in the dungeon!" He nearly shouted.

Freya looked shocked, and was almost in tears. "I did everything for you!" She shouted. "Fine! I hired the assassins to abduct you, just so they could kill that rat! I was the one who shot the rat with an arrow after she had defeated those assassins! I'm the one who put food poisoning in your drink, just so I could spend time with you! I am the one who told her jealous boyfriend where she was! I'm the one who murdered Freyr to get rid of the rat! Are you happy?!" She shouted. Her eyes were red with tears and they streamed down her face. Her golden hair stuck to the tear on her cheeks.

Loki tried to blink back the shock. He hadn't expected her to be behind everything! All this time, she had been the one at fault. She had practically killed Terezah. "Why?!" He asked.

"Because I love you!" She cried angrily.

"But I don't love you." Loki shot back.

Suddenly, she smiled. It wasn't a warm smile or a welcoming smile, it was a murderous smile. She had lost it. A mad glint sparkled in her eyes as her smile grew into a grin. "Poor little Lokitty… no assassin, no lover, and a family who doesn't care for him. All he has are his lies and a life that will soon shatter! Have fun!" She said in a sing song voice. Before Loki had even gotten a chance to see where she had gone, she vanished. He looked around, searching for hours, but didn't find her. Freya had disappeared. It was well past midnight when he finally gave up and went inside. He sat down on his bed and pulled off his boots. A dagger clattered to the floor as he pulled off one of his boots. He had forgotten about it. He picked up the small black dagger and turned it over in his hand. He stared at the black, polished surface of the blade. He was angry at himself for letting her die. He could have saved her. He could have broken her out of the dungeon and helped her escape. Why didn't he? Not bothering to take off his armor, he fell back on his bed and closed his tired eyes, falling asleep with dagger in hand.

* * *

Terezah watched the man sleeping on the bed in the dark room. She had gotten in easily, having broken into many places before. She had come into the room without a sound. The couple hadn't even stirred. She watched them, slumbering peacefully, not knowing what was to come. She glared at the both of them. She walked over to the bed and pulled out a dagger. She could kill him silently, but she would prefer the monster to know who had sent him to Hel. She slipped the dagger to his throat and whispered into his ear. "I've missed you." She whispered in a taunting voice. His eyes shot open and immediately darted to her. Panic filled his blue eyes.

"Who are you?" He asked.

"You don't remember me?" She asked with a fake sadness. "I was hoping you would remember your beloved step-daughter. Remember all the times we shared? Haircuts, tackling, playing tag, hide and seek…." She whispered coldly. He visibly shivered.

"Terezah." He said as if her name was a curse.

Terezah smiled. "At least you remember my name." She replied sweetly.

"What do you want with me?" He asked.

"I only want you to know who killed you when you are walking through the gates of Hel." She said, venom and rage weaved into her words. She pressed her dagger harder into his throat. "Do you wish to die right now, or should we play a little game?" She asked with a wicked grin. She slowly walked around the side of the bed towards the woman. If he tried to run, he wouldn't be able to get far.

"Leave her out of this!" He shouted, waking the woman.

"What is going on?!" She cried, green eyes shooting open.

Terezah set the point of her blade on the woman's chest, glaring at her step-father. "This is between you and me! Leave her out of it!" He said with more force.

"Why should I? Isn't that what you're best at? Hurting those closest to people?" She asked with a sneer.

The man sighed. "I know what I did to you and your mother was wrong… very wrong! I regret it every day! But please… leave my family out of this!" He pleaded.

"Family? Is this your new family? What happened to your old one?" She asked, angry tears streaming down her face. Her step-father slowly stood up from the bed.

"This is between you and me. Leave her out of it." He repeated.

She dashed across the room towards him, dagger in hand. He tried desperately to out-maneuver her, but it was all in vain. She kicked the back of his knee and he fell to the floor. She slammed the heel of her boot into a pressure point in his shoulder and he cried out in pain. He tried to get back up, but she pressed the point of her dagger into his chest, not allowing him to move any farther. Her golden eyes pierced his soul, allowing him to see how much she loathed him. She heard the woman behind her cry and plead with Terezah not to harm him, but she didn't listen to those pleas.

"Let me tell you a little story." She said, one foot on his chest holding him down. She was kneeling, looking him in the eyes. "Once upon a time there was a little girl. Her and her mother lived happily until one day a monster came along. He killed the mother slowly, and hurt the little girl to the point where she thought she would never live past the age of ten. Then, her mom died at the hands of the monster who ran away. That little girl was sent to an orphanage where she would starve every winter and slave away the summers. She was abused and turned away everywhere she went. She was betrayed and hurt in every way possible. So finally, she decided she would become stronger. She trained and trained, striving to become as strong as she could. But no matter how strong she became, every night, she would relive what the monster had done. This drove her to become what she is today. Look at the monster you have created. Are you proud?" She asked, burning with hatred.

The man looked at her with such a mixture of sadness and regret. "No. I shouldn't have done those things to you and Vira. I am sorry you have suffered, but I have a family who needs me. I started over and strove to become better! I would have gone back for you, but my new life had prevented it." He explained.

Terezah didn't care what he had become. All she saw was the man who had caused her so much pain. The man who had abandoned her. The man who had murdered her mother. She pressed the dagger to his chest and slowly pushed it into his skin. She felt joy as she watched his eyes fill with pain. Then, the door to the room opened and she heard a small voice. "Grandpa?" The tiny voice asked. Terezah looked at the small elf girl who had entered the room. Tears ran down her face and she looked absolutely terrified.

Terezah's heart beat wildly. Her head pounded and she stopped the dagger going into his chest. If she killed the man, she would be the same as him. Murdering in front of a child. Tears fell down her face and she knew she would never be able to forgive herself if she killed him in front of the small girl. When she looked at the girl, she not only saw an innocent child, she saw herself. The girl's green eyes widened in horror as her "grandpa" grunted in pain. Terezah slowly stood up, sheathing the dagger. She watched the child rush to her "Grandpa" and hug him. The little elven girl looked up at her with beautiful green eyes. She blinked away the tears as she looked at Terezah.

Terezah's jaw quivered as she held back a sob. She couldn't do it. She couldn't. She remembered her mother dropping to the floor, a puddle or blood forming under her. She remembered the suffering and the pain. This innocent girl should not have to go through what she had gone through. This girl should not have to grow up so fast.

Zaos stood up. "I understand I made a terrible mistake. I know what I did was wrong. I am sorry. I am so sorry. Will you ever forgive me?" He asked Terezah.

Terezah felt so conflicted. She felt angry at herself. She had killed many people before, and she had done it without a pause. But as she watched the little girl, she knew her mother would be disappointed. "I will never forgive you." Terezah spat. "The only reason you are still alive is because I don't want the girl to go through what I did." She said and turned away from him.

"Why are you surrounded by dark magic?" She asked, not looking at any of them.

"What do you mean?" He asked, completely confused.

"Do not play games with me! I am tracking dark magic on this world, and it surrounds you." She said, glaring at him. "When have you used dark magic?" She questioned.

"I don't use magic." He responded. The little girl now hid behind him, clutching his leg. The woman who had been on the bed was now standing next to him.

Terezah sighed in frustration. She wanted to leave as soon as she could. "Can you think of any time in your life you have used magic or it has been used on you?" She asked impatiently. She tried to control her emotions, to hide her anger. She locked the rage inside of her.

Zaos seemed to be contemplating. "I met a sorcerer who turned me into a light elf." He said.

She slowly walked towards the window, refusing to look at them. It was time for her to leave. She walked to the window and jumped out, landing silently on the ground and disappearing behind the corner. Adrenaline pumped through her vanes. Her soul screamed at her. The point of becoming an assassin in the first place had been to seek vengeance, and now she was walking away because of a child. Tears streamed down her face, clouding her eyes. Her heart ached. She wandered aimlessly through the streets.

It was as if all of her ambition had suddenly left her. The fire that had once driven her had been put out, and now she was left with nothing but ashes and a heart scarred with hatred from a wound cut long ago. She walked past the outskirts of the city until she was the only living thing in sight. She collapsed to the ground, sobbing. All her life she had searched for Zaos… and when she had finally found him, she didn't kill him. She broke the promise she had made to herself as a little girl, curled up next to her mother's body. She was going against her very nature. She felt torn in two, as if there was someone pulling on each side of her heart, trying to rip it in two. _What am I? _She thought to herself. She was an assassin who couldn't kill her target.

Then, her talisman started to buzz. At first she didn't notice it, too distracted by her mental anguish, but then it got stronger. She sat up and looked around. There grassy fields around her were completely empty. She locked her feelings away. She couldn't be distracted by such things.

The ground under her started to turn black. The green grass seemed to burn and shrivel into ash. It formed a circle around her. She tried to step out of the circle of black, but something repelled her, keeping her inside. She remained calm and studied the ground. The talisman started to buzz harder and harder. Then, the ground gave out beneath her and she fell into a dark abyss.

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	21. Chapter 21

Terezah's eyes fluttered open. A massive headache pounded in her head. She looked around, but darkness surrounded her. Complete darkness. _Where am I? _She thought as she tried to see anything in the darkness. She felt for the daggers on her arms or legs, but they were all gone. Her belt was gone as well along with her shape-shifting staff. She tried to conjure a dagger, but something was blocking her magic. She felt around, trying to make out her surroundings. The floor was hard and very cold. She could feel metal bars after a while, which went all the way up to the ceiling.

She laid on the floor, curling into a ball. She shivered, trying to maintain body heat. Her feet were bare and she didn't have her black cloak anymore, so the cold soaked through her without challenge, chilling her to the bone. She closed her eyes, trying to calm her pounding head. _What is up with me and dungeons?! _She thought to herself. She had been in over fifty different dungeons or cages in the past three centuries.

As she lay there in the dark, she contemplated her life. What was the point of living? She had killed so many people, and as she looked back she realized the fire she had was now gone. All she had ever done was lie and kill in the service of liars and killers. Pretending to be separate, to have her own code. Something that made up for the horrors…. but they were part of her. And they would never go away. The tears she once had were gone, not a single one would now fall. Her heart had been shattered so many times, she could not repair it. Did she even have a heart? She felt a numbness spread through her mind. Her head stopped aching. What was she now? Before her mother had died, she had told Terezah to never be afraid, and all her life her mother had told her to always be herself. Who was she?

She had based her life on finding her step-father, getting revenge, trying to repair the horrors of her life. But she had let her step-father live… she couldn't let that little girl suffer… A sudden thought came to her. If that girl had called her step-father 'grandpa', that means she still had family. She had a brother or sister and at least a niece. Who knew? Maybe she had more! Her heart pounded with excitement. Even if they would never accept her, she had relatives! A smile spread across her face and the numbness started to fade. Although it was through her step-father, she still had a family. She held her feet, trying to warm them up as she laid there, curled in a ball on the floor. A feeling she hadn't felt in centuries came to her again… Hope.

She jumped as a door banged open and light poured into the room. A figure walked towards her cage carrying a torch. Terezah stood up. The figure had a hood over their face, so she couldn't see who it was. The person was obviously female, and stood only a little taller than Terezah. The woman was dressed in a dark blue dress that flowed down to the floor, covering her feet. The cloak the woman wore was grey. What caught Terezah's eyes the most was the symbol that was sewn onto her sleeve.

"My Queen?" Terezah asked, uncertainly.

The lady removed her hood, and Terezah gasped. Immediately kneeling on one knee, bowing her head respectfully, she waited for her Queen to give her permission to stand. "You may rise." The Queen said with a smirk. Terezah stood, waiting to be instructed.

"I am hoping you haven't forgotten where your loyalties lie?" The Queen asked.

"My loyalties lie with you, my Queen." Terezah said with her utmost respect.

The Queen chuckled. "It's good to have you back. I forgot how serious you are about your job. You see, when my last Shadow Warrior didn't come back, I had to go searching for him myself. I found him dead at his house, but that is not what intrigued me the most. I found weapons there that could only be yours, and a trail of blood that led away from the house as well. Tell me, did you kill Tyron?"

"Yes, my Queen. I assure you, I did it out of defense. He held me prisoner for just under fourteen days." Terezah explained.

"I am in need of a new assassin. Seeing as you were 'executed' in Asgard, you are to be my Shadow Warrior once again." The Queen said. "Do you accept?"

Terezah didn't know what to say. She had sworn her loyalties to Odin, but she had always put her Queen first. Could she be a murderer again? Her duty was to protect the Queen and serve her. "Yes, my Queen." Terezah said, looking away from her.

"Good." The Queen said with a smile. She took out a key and unlocked the door to Terezah's cell. Terezah stepped out of the cell and stood there silently, waiting for the Queen to instruct her. "I had your weapons taken because I was worried you would not be loyal to me. I will have them returned to you as well as your shoes and cloak." The Queen said and turned towards the door, taking the light away with her. Terezah followed silently. "Prepare yourself and report back to me for your first assignment." The Queen said as they walked out into the hall.

"Yes, my queen. Your wish is my command." Terezah replied.

The Queen laughed a little. "Oh how I've missed you! My last two assassins haven't had near the skill you do! And you're still alive, unlike them!" Terezah frowned inside. She didn't want to do this. She felt she belonged on Asgard with Loki. She was dead though, nothing could be done about that. As she and the Queen walked down the hall, Terezah knew she couldn't go back. She locked her thoughts away. She had to stay focused.

"What are you doing on Alfheim?" Terezah asked.

"I have been working at taking over Alfheim for years! That's why you always had so many assignments here. I have been here for the past few months, but I am afraid Odin has detected something wrong here. Your appearance confirmed my suspicions. All we have to do now is kill the King of Alfheim, all his heirs, and the Court members. I have disguised dark elves everywhere here. Enough to form an army. We will conquer Alfheim, and soon the light elves will be beneath us!" The Queen said.

Terezah continued down a different hallway as they split. A servant met her and gave Terezah her clothes and weapons. Terezah entered a room and sat down on the bed, pulling on her boots. As she stood up, she flipped the cloak over her shoulders, then, she pulled her hood up over her head. She strapped her daggers to her limbs and buckled her belt around her waist. Her shape-shifting staff was still there. She walked quickly out of the room and towards where her Queen had told her to meet her. As she walked, she couldn't help but feel she was betraying Loki. She thought about the family she had discovered only a little bit ago, and realized they might be killed. The last family she had. The little girl with the green eyes would suffer. But Terezah was the Shadow Warrior once more, and she couldn't allow herself to be distracted by such silly things. Silly things like family…

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**I'm glad you peoples are enjoying my story! Sudden twist in events... will Terezah side with the Dark Elf Queen, or will she betray the Dark Elves and foil their attempt to take over Alfheim? What about Freya? Where has she gone? THANK YOU so much for the nice comments! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please comment, follow, or favorite! Thanks :)**


	22. Chapter 22

**Okay... So this chapter might not be as good as other chapters. I rewrote this chapter like 10 times because I didn't feel it was right. Finally, I had to settle with this plot so I hope you peoples like it... Anyways, have fun reading! :)**

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Terezah paced back and forth slowly in front of the royal family. The Queen was outside leading the army of dark elves. They had taken over the capital city, and the Queen had assigned her to keep track of the royal family. She wanted them alive for some reason. There was only the King and Queen of Alfheim, and their two daughters. One of the daughters was about her age, and the other could only be a century old as she looked like a little child. The one who was her age sat a little farther away from her family, as if she didn't enjoy her family's company much.

She studied the Queen of Alfheim. She was currently unconscious as Terezah had knocked her out. She had auburn hair that was braided beautifully into a single braid that reached her lower back. She wore a green dress. The younger princess had the same auburn hair, but had blue eyes. Probably the King's eyes. The King was currently unconscious since Terezah had knocked him out as well. He had black hair and was a little round about the waist. A golden crown sat atop his head, and he was dressed in a royal tunic. The daughter that sat farther away was a spitting image of her father. She had raven black hair, but had her mother's green eyes. The elven family were all fair skinned, unlike Terezah who had grey skin.

Terezah stopped pacing around and sat on the floor in front of them. She knew it wasn't a wise move as it could give her enemy a chance to take her down, but she was far more skilled than them anyways. She pulled out a dagger and stared at her reflection in the blade. She saw her golden eyes looking back at her and quickly turned the dagger so that she couldn't. She didn't want to see the monster stare back at her. She was in assassin mode, where she shut down all her emotions to make it easier to kill those she was assigned to. But, seeing as the royal family wouldn't jump at their chance, she unlocked her feelings for only a brief moment, allowing herself to breathe. She hated being so serious and deadly all the time. It was hard on her mental health. She closed her eyes and concentrated, trying to relax. She could hear every movement in the room with a startling sharpness. If anyone tried anything, she would be able to act quickly.

She took a deep breath. She could hear her heart pounding and almost forgot where she was for a moment. Her mind wandered, but quickly snapped back to the present when someone spoke. "Why are you doing this?" She heard the elder princess ask.

"It is my job." Terezah said in a bored tone. The people she had been sent to deal with in the past had often times pleaded with her to spare them, but this princess had snapped at her accusingly.

"Money? Power?" The princess continued with a sneer.

"Neither. It is my job… like I said before." Terezah said again.

"Of course. You are a coward just like every other mercenary I've met. Pathetic and weak!" She spat.

Terezah leaned back against the wall, resting her head against the cold surface to show her boredom. "First of all, I'm not a mercenary." Terezah said, closing her eyes. "Second of all, I am not a coward. A coward is a person who lacks the courage to endure dangerous or unpleasant things. I have done dangerous and unpleasant things my entire life." Terezah said, opening her eyes once again to look at the princess who sat against the opposite wall. "Third of all I am definitely not weak as I am both physically and mentally strong. I would ask you though as to how you see me as pathetic." Terezah said, her full attention on the raven haired elf that sat across from her.

The princess sat silently, apparently beaten in her attempt to belittle the assassin. They sat there for another hour in complete silence until finally the princess spoke up again.

"How long do we have to wait?" She asked impatiently.

Terezah didn't even bother to look at her. "As long as my Queen wants."

"Why do you obey her every whim? Are you some mindless drone?" The princess shot at Terezah.

"I don't have to explain my reasons to you of all people." Terezah replied sharply.

"Dark elves are the most hideous species I have ever seen." The princess said.

Terezah ignored her. She didn't care what the princess thought of her. The princess was trying to make her feel angry or guilty, but Terezah currently had her emotions locked up.

"I bet dark elves don't even have parents! They are born out of the disgusting garbage filth on their planet." The princess said with a mean grin.

Terezah again just ignored her. Her attempts to make Terezah feel inferior weren't working. At all.

"I bet your parents are so proud of you! Killing people and helping take over Alfheim! Good job!" The princess spat.

"My parents are dead, just like yours will be if you don't shut your mouth this instant!" Terezah said angrily.

"Who killed them? You? Is that some sort of ritual on Svartalfheim?" The princess continued, obviously not caring if Terezah killed her parents or not.

"No." Terezah said simply, not caring to continue the conversation, but that didn't stop the rebellious elf that sat across from her.

"'No' to what? The ritual, killing your parents, or you killing your parents?" The princess asked with a mean smirk.

"I don't have to answer any of those questions." Terezah replied stiffly.

"Because they're true? I bet you people kill your children and eat them! Maybe the rumors are true." The princess said with the mean smirk on her face growing.

Terezah shut the princess up when a dagger lodged itself in the wall a mere inch from her face. The dagger vibrated softly next to the princess' ear, as if taunting her. Terezah glared at the princess, trying to contain her anger. Why did almost every problem she have revolve around her parents in some way? They had both been dead for centuries and yet they still impacted her life no matter what she did. And why did this snobby princess bring it up? "Only monsters kill their children. I had to grow up with that kind of monster and it sure isn't normal!" Terezah spat. She was sick of this princess and wanted to shove a dagger down her throat if she so much as spoke another word.

Terezah wished she could take back the words she had just said. Giving away personal information during a mission really wasn't that smart, and the princess had somehow managed to make her angry enough to talk. She had to be more careful. She watched the princess, expecting the mean smirk to come back to her face, but it didn't. The princess just sat silently, watching her for a few minutes, as if to try and search her for some more information on her past. Great… Her Highness was interested in her past now. Terezah swore she would split the princess' skull if she asked about it. Luckily, Terezah didn't have to split her skull or shove a dagger down her throat since the princess didn't ask about it.

There was complete silence for another two hours, when finally a small voice spoke up. It was the younger princess, the one that could only be a century or so old. "Who are you?" The child asked, eyeing Terezah curiously. Why did these elves have to talk so much?!

"A person." Terezah replied simply.

The child's nose scrunched up in confusion as if she didn't get it. "What's your name?" The child asked with a small smile. This struck Terezah as odd. Why would this child want to know her name? Of all things this little girl should fear her and cry or something, not try and hold a conversation with her captor.

"Terezah." She replied in a bored tone, but was secretly intrigued by the child's courage.

"I'm Lilia! I am soooo excited!" She said happily.

By now, Terezah was speechless. What was going on?! "Excited about what?" Terezah asked. She couldn't help it… this kid was very interesting.

"For the hero, silly!" Lilia replied with a small giggle.

"What do you mean?" Terezah asked, not getting what the little girl was implying.

"There's a hero for every villain! I can't wait to meet the hero that beats you guys and makes you go away!" Lilia said with an innocent smile.

Terezah couldn't help but smile. It wasn't a happy smile, but a sad smile. Her hero had been her mother, and her mother had beaten her step-father by sacrificing herself. This small girl clearly thought this was some sort of game, and Terezah envied her innocence. Terezah wasn't completely bad, and that was probably what set her apart from other assassins. Other assassins were ruthless and would have hurt the girl immediately just for saying something like that, but Terezah was different. Terezah enjoyed the innocence of children. It helped lighten her life. Children were so innocent. She didn't know how anyone could harm them.

"Me too, Lilia…. Me too." Terezah said. The girl grinned from ear to ear and shook with excitement. Terezah couldn't help but chuckle at Lilia's enthusiasm.

"You don't look like a villain." Lilia said with a confused face.

This struck Terezah the most. How could she not be a villain? She was a monster… a killer… Yet this little girl said with such confidence that she wasn't. "How so?" Terezah asked. She didn't know why she was even talking to the girl. Maybe it was because the girl was the first person in months to talk to her with such willingness.

"You just don't. You look more good to me. I think you are a good guy and you will save us instead." She said with a huge smile.

"Don't count on it." Terezah said quickly.

"Sadi! What do you think?" Lilia asked the other princess.

"I think this assassin should rot in the deepest pit Hel can offer." 'Sadi' spat.

The little girl crinkled her nose in slight anger. "You shouldn't be so mean to my friend!" She said accusingly.

Up to this point, this had been the most shocking thing the girl had done. "Friend?! Wait… what?!" Terezah stuttered in unbelief. "I'm holding you prisoner, threatening to kill your parents! How can you possibly see me as a friend?!" Terezah asked.

"You look like you need a friend. You look so sad!" The girl said with a small frown. She then stood up and walked over to Terezah. Terezah scooted uncomfortably away from the girl as she sat down next to her. Then, the little girl hugged her. Terezah was too stunned to do anything. She couldn't even think. The little girl pulled away and scooted closer to her.

"Yup! We're best buddies!" Lilia said with a huge grin that melted Terezah's heart slightly. Sadi just glared at the two and looked away as if she was jealous.

Terezah was absolutely confused. She still had no words that could come to her. Then, Lilia leaned her head on Terezah's ash grey arm and fell asleep. Terezah didn't know if she should push the small girl off of her and tell her to go sit with her family or not. So, she let the girl stay where she was. As she watched the girl, she couldn't help but feel a small bit of peace wash over her. It was a strange feeling. Especially coming from a little girl she was most likely going to have to kill later. But in that moment, it was okay. It was okay for now.

Loki was absolutely shocked when he heard of the Dark Elves taking over Alfheim. The Dark Elves had done some pretty bold things in the past, but this was just unheard of! The thing that had surprised him the most was hearing of the assassin that led the army. The assassin had been described as death itself, a shadow amongst the darkness. The assassin had killed the King and all his heirs, along with the court members. Overall, this assassin had killed fifty of the most protected people on Alfheim single handedly. Indeed, this assassin was a force to be reckoned with.

Odin had promised Alfheim long ago that Asgard would protect the Light Elves if the need arise. Now, Loki was suiting up in his armor, getting ready to go on a scouting mission to see how strong the Dark Elves were. He held the small black dagger in his hand, running his finger over the perfectly balanced blade. He turned it and stared at his name which was etched onto the hilt. He heard a loud pounding on his door.

"Brother! Are you almost ready?!" Thor called from the other side of the door.

"Yes. I will be out in a moment." Loki shouted back.

Thor burst into the room anyways. "You are ready! Why are you not outside?" Thor asked.

"I was just getting my weapon, brother. Be more patient." Loki said, rolling his eyes. He slipped the black dagger into his boot and grabbed a sword off of his bed.

"We are about to have a glorious battle! There is no time for patience!" Thor boomed. Loki tried to hold back the irritation. His brother was always in the mood for a fight, and that wouldn't be a good quality in king. If Thor leapt at every chance he could to fight, he would be the end of Asgard.

"We are not going off to battle. We are going on a reconnaissance mission!" Loki snapped.

"They are the same thing!" Thor chided.

"I assure you, they are not." Loki replied. Thor could be such an idiot sometimes.

"Come! We are wasting time!" Thor said and walked quickly out of his room. Loki followed at his side as they walked out to the stables. Several stable boys helped with the horses, but the one to give Loki his horse was the same stable boy that Terezah had always had troubles with. Was fate just trying to mock him? He mounted his black stallion and rode with Thor to the Bifrost. Outside the Bifrost were Thor's friends waiting for them.

Soon, they were in Alfheim. Loki looked in horror at the scene before him. The once beautiful capitol city now had clouds of smoke billowing up into the sky. It was night time, and the city glowed as fire tore down many buildings. Dark Elven soldiers marched through the streets, pulling women and children out of houses and throwing them into a group with other women and children. The men were taken away immediately. Screams echoed throughout the hills surrounding the city. Loki and Thor exchanged glances, and for once they agreed on one thing. This was a nightmare.

They split into two teams. Loki was currently with Sif, and they were headed for the south side of the city. Their job was to sneak into the gigantic royal mansion that stood in the middle of the city. They were entering through the south side because of the smaller number of guards. Thor and the Warriors Three were going around to the north side of the city to create a diversion while he and Sif found out as much information as they could about where the royal family was.

Loki and Sif crouched behind a rather large bush, watching the gate in front of them. The tall green grass around them helped with their cover. There were two guards guarding the entrance. It would be easy to take them down, but that would alert others of their presence. Sif poked him and pointed silently to an area on the wall a while down. There was a huge tree that towered over the wall, and it was out of the guard's immediate sight. Loki nodded in confirmation that he understood and they silently made their way towards the tree. All the while, Loki kept an eye on the guards who didn't seem to notice them yet. Loki knelt on the ground by the tree and cupped his hands. Sif stepped onto his hands and he boosted her up so she could reach a limb. She pulled herself onto the tree limb and helped Loki up. They carefully made their way across the long tree limb and jumped onto the wall. It was fairly thin, so Loki almost fell backwards but Sif caught his arm. Loki looked at the guards again, but they still didn't see them. Loki and Sif carefully climbed down the other side of the wall. Once Loki's feet hit the smooth stone surface, his eyes darted around, searching for any guards.

Loki followed closely behind Sif as they made their way to the grand mansion in the middle of the city. Once or twice they had to duck behind a house or tree to avoid guards. It took all he had not to try and kill the soldiers who were searching the houses and pulling people out of their homes. They made their way silently through the city. Finally, the large mansion loomed over them. It was one of the only structures that wasn't damaged severely. Suddenly, Sif pushed him roughly behind a bush and he watched as some guards walked past them. Sif glared at him and punched him hard on his arm. She pointed towards the back of the palace, indicating for them to go around. Loki rubbed the sore spot on his arm as he followed Sif to the back of the palace.

He gave her a boost onto the sill of a window which she pulled open. Loki climbed up onto the sill and jumped in after Sif. The hall was completely silent. Not a sound could be heard in either direction the hall went. Sif indicated with her hand that they were going left. Loki followed as quietly as he could behind her. It was times like this he wished he could turn invisible, but he didn't want to waste his energy. They wove through hall after hall, occasionally having to hide from a guard. They had to find out where the royal family was being kept. They wandered aimlessly through the halls for what felt like hours, searching room after room. Finally, they found the room with the royal family. At first, Loki didn't realize the dark elf in the room with them, but his heart stopped when he did. There, sitting on the floor with a small light elf fast asleep on her arm, was Terezah. The assassin that had been killed months ago. The assassin that had risked her life for him. She was alive.

Her golden eyes shot open and pierced Loki's ice blue eyes. They remained locked for only seconds before she bolted up, charging at them. Swiftly and silently she pulled out her daggers and prepared to strike. But all Loki could do was stand there and watch the dark elf sprinting towards him, about to drive her daggers into his chest. He was too shocked to move.

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**Ugh... Okay, if you didn't like that you can message me and give me suggestions. I hope you liked it though...**

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	23. Chapter 23

**I'm so glad you peoples liked the last chapter. This one will be interesting... **

**THANK YOU whoever the guest was that commented "thought for a moment terezah was going to give him a huge bear hug at first." I had trouble finding out what to do with the next scene... I really should write out a plot... Nah :P **

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Terezah ran towards Loki, trying her best to look intimidating, but she couldn't. She had missed him more than she realized. All the emotions she had worked so hard to keep locked up suddenly surfaced. She threw her arms around Loki's neck and hugged him tightly. Her daggers clattered to the floor. She couldn't hold back a smile as she knew Loki was utterly speechless. She pulled away after a moment and looked at Loki who still seemed to be in shock. She waved her hand in front of his face and finally he blinked.

"Y….You're… alive…" Loki stuttered, still staring wide-eyed at her. Sif still couldn't say anything yet.

Terezah laughed. The pair looked absolutely hilarious just standing there like that, looking so shocked. "I think so…" Terezah replied, patting her torso just to make sure that she was there and not some sort of ghost. Loki and Sif still stood there, trying to figure out if she was real. Terezah knew to them she had been dead for a few months, and they had probably saw her so-called death if they had gone to her execution, so she understood why they were so surprised. "It's rude to stare." Terezah said blandly after a minute more.

"Sorry…" Loki and Sif replied at once and then looked at each other awkwardly.

"How…?" Loki asked, taking a deep breath.

"Odin sent me on a mission here to Alfheim to find out what was going on. That wasn't me at my execution… it was someone else." Terezah explained. "So, why are you guys here anyways?" Terezah asked, but she knew why. They were here to save Alfheim.

"We came to help the royal family escape." Sif said, stepping forward. That reminded Terezah. She looked back at the King and Queen who had now woken up and were staring at her. 'Her Highness' was glaring daggers at her and Lilia was grinning from ear to ear.

Terezah had to make a choice. To honor her code to the Queen or Loki. She would have to kill Loki… the Queen wouldn't tolerate a traitor. She remembered being tortured in the dungeon after letting Tyron into the war room all those years ago and shivered. So much pain. She really didn't want to go through that again and knew if she betrayed the Queen she would have a lot of assassins after her, hunting her down. The Queen would make sure she suffered slowly, in every way she feared. Was it worth it? Here, she would be the Shadow Warrior… but did that even matter anymore? If she stayed she would be alone as she always had been. In Asgard she at least had Loki and he was the only true friend she had had so far. She looked at Loki and Sif standing there, eyeing her suspiciously.

"What's wrong?" Loki asked, confused.

"Nothing… I just…" Terezah inhaled sharply. Could she betray her Queen? Her people? Her code?

"Just what?" Sif asked sounding a little impatient.

Terezah's gaze shifted from the royal family and back to Loki and Sif. She met Loki's blue eyes and held his gaze. She knew what she had to do. It wasn't about her life anymore. It was about the freedom of Alfheim. Terezah sighed and groaned quietly. "I'm going to get killed for this." She muttered. She walked over to the King and Queen, unlocking their shackles along with Sadi. Lilia had been the only one who didn't need to be chained up because she was too small to fit in the shackles. The three light elves looked at her, confused as to why she was letting them go.

"Who are you?" The King asked Loki and Sif.

"I am Prince Loki, of Asgard. And this is the Lady Sif." Loki said, waving his hand near Sif to show who she was. "We've come to help you escape." Loki said, looking at Terezah after he said it.

"I can guide you past the guards as I know where they are stationed and I will be able to get you out safely. I know all the safest routes through the city and where the male light elves are being held." Terezah said, offering her help.

"How do we know we can trust you?" Sadi snapped at her.

"You don't." Terezah said simply.

The King and Queen exchanged glances, eyeing her suspiciously. "You can trust her." Loki spoke up, smiling at her when Terezah whipped her head around to look at him.

"Are you certain?" The Queen asked.

"Yes." Loki said, making no room for argument. There was silence for a moment while all the adults, including Sadi, studied her. Terezah stood there in the middle of the room, getting very bored very fast. She rolled her eyes and sighed in irritation.

"Are we going to go? My Queen will get here any moment now." Terezah said, her impatience growing.

"Let's go then. Lead the way." Sif replied.

Terezah casually walked out the door, not caring that guards were eyeing her suspiciously. She glared at them, a deathly glint in her eyes. The two guards quickly looked away from her and hurried down the hall and out of sight as quickly as they could without running. Terezah grinned. She liked being feared… sometimes. "Come on." She said irritably, motioning for the people in the room to come out. They filed out of the room and followed her down the hall. They looked at her with untrusting eyes. All of them except Loki and Lilia.

They twisted through the halls, occasionally ducking into an empty room to avoid guards. Terezah's golden eyes remained alert and her hearing remained sharp as ever, focusing on any little sound that came from around them. They ran into some guards and Terezah took them down in record time, grinning at the people behind her who stared at her in surprise. It had taken her less than five seconds to kill highly trained dark elves. They continued down the hall, Terezah in the lead. She had a sharp memory, so she remembered almost every hall, room, and corridor that she passed. She was battling with herself… could she betray her Queen? Everything she had fought for… centuries of training and missions… and she was throwing it all away because of a friend. She stood in front of a fork in the halls. Left would take her to the Queen and right would be their escape route… which one?

She looked back at the people who had been following her diligently, placing trust in someone who couldn't be trusted. Her doubts from earlier came back. What was the point of all this? What was the point of her even living? All she had ever been was a pawn for others to use. Should she betray her Queen or her friend? Her doubts washed away as fate decided for her. Strolling down the hall was her Queen with at least forty guards.

* * *

Loki watched in horror as at least forty guards and a woman who lead them walked towards them. She spoke to Terezah in their native tongue. The conversation got more heated. Guards started closing in on them. Terezah stood her ground and said something else in her native tongue. The queen looked slightly shocked and glanced at Loki. A look of defeat was plastered on Terezah's face, and anxiety ebbed at him. What was happening? He wished he could speak Druhir. Then the dark elf Queen spoke in Asgardian.

"I am honored to meet you Prince Loki. And I see you are helping your friends escape. How fun for me. I get to play a little game now. Terezah… kill him." The dark elf woman said with an evil grin. Terezah turned to look at Loki. She neared him slowly, pulling out two daggers, one for each hand. Loki felt Sif's temper rage behind him and the light elves start to panic. If only they knew how to fight. Loki watched Terezah stop in front of him and stare at him. Her eyes penetrated his and at that moment he saw the '_you'll have to trust me' _look. He nodded ever so slightly, nothing too noticeable.

Just then Terezah whipped around, sending both daggers flying at the guards on either side of the dark elf Queen. The daggers sunk into their necks and the guards cried out in pain before sinking to the floor. Terezah conjured her next daggers so fast Loki barely saw them materialize before she threw them again, lodging them into two more guards. She rushed at the crowd of guards who were no rushing towards them. Loki watched in amazement as she took two down each second. She couldn't always kill them, so some would get back up. She had killed twelve guards by the time he heard her yell "GO!" Loki and Sif ran as fast as they could followed by the royal family down the right corridor. Loki turned to see at least fifteen guards following them. Loki knew he would have to face them soon. Now, he wished his brother was here to help them. Although Loki would never deny it, it was nice having his idiot warrior brother by his side.

Loki told the royal family to keep going and he and Sif stayed behind to face the guards. The guards were much harder to fight than he thought. Terezah made it look easy. The guard's had thick armor and were obviously trained extremely well. Loki pulled out his black dagger and thrust it through the neck of a guard who dropped to the floor. Loki turned around and caught the blade of a sword mid-strike before it hit him and thrust the guard back. He used his magic to make the handle of the guard's sword turn bright red with heat. The dark elf immediately dropped it, crying out in pain. Loki took this chance and thrust his dagger through his stomach. He had killed five and Sif had killed almost six by the looks of it. Loki drove his sword through another dark elf and lashed his daggers across another guard's throat.

The remaining guards backed away and ran down the hall towards the screaming coming from Terezah's location. But… it was Terezah who was screaming. It sent chills down his back. He turned and continued running with Sif to catch up with the royal family. He want so desperately to turn around and help Terezah… but he had a mission that would mean the freedom of thousands of light elves. He ran faster, trying to get the screaming out of his head. His lungs burned and his muscles ached from using so much energy. He neared to end of the hall and his heart sunk when he was faced with at least fifty more dark elves to fight. But he couldn't. They already had the royal family in custody and Sif. Loki was surrounded and couldn't do anything to fight back. The guards dragged him back to where Terezah's screams were coming from, and what he saw made an unpleasant shiver run through his whole body.

* * *

Terezah fought off the guards the best she could. There were too many though. She would just finish with one guard when another five swords would lash out at her. She tried to keep up with them. Desperately she poured all of her energy and skill into taking down as many guards as she could. Finally there were only twelve guards left, but she was heavily wounded. She knew she could try and defeat the last dozen guards when her Queen spoke an ancient language. Something washed over Terezah. Before it could completely take effect, the Queen explained.

"You see… when the Shadow Warrior takes the oath, I have a certain shut down button for them. Seeing as you had a rather interesting back story, I decided to build a trigger that would set off all the pain you have ever felt at once. Nobody crosses me." The Queen said with an evil smirk. She ordered the guards not to attack and watched as Terezah sunk to the floor.

Every time her step-father struck her…

Every time her mother would cry out in pain…

Every time she looked into her mother's sad eyes…

Every time her step-father choked her and threw her across the room…

Every time she was forced to watch her step-father rape her mother…

Every time her skin was cut open by her step-father's knife…

Every nightmare she had ever had…

Every time one of her friends had betrayed her…

Every time the whip had cut across her back, leaving a trail of blood…

Every mission she had ever gone on that made her feel horrible…

Every time her pride had been wounded…

Every tear she had ever shed…

Every sob that had ever shook her…

Every drop of blood that she had ever witnessed…

Everything…

Everything came rushing back to her…. and it HURT.

Her heart burned and it seemed like her entire body was on fire. She let out a scream of rage and clutched her forehead, digging her nails into her skin. She screamed again. The agony was overbearing. She couldn't take it. Her whole body shook violently as she desperately tried to fight it. She watched everything all over again and felt ever single emotion all at once. Sadness, sorrow, anger, fury, agony, heartbreak, pain, horror, savagery, dismay, fear, shock, disgust, hopelessness… It overloaded her mind and she couldn't hear her own screams anymore. Something snapped. The path between sanity and insanity she had been so carefully treading tipped. She fell. She kept falling. Then, everything stopped. A look of nothingness clouded her eyes. She sat there emotionless. Completely silent. She couldn't feel anything. She stared at some place in the distance that didn't seem to be real. She couldn't see the people around her or the look of pleasure on her Queen's face. She didn't care to notice guards grabbing her upper arm on each side, forcing her to stand. She didn't blink twice when Loki, Sif, and the royal family were dragged back into the room. She let go of everything. Emptiness consumed her mind.

* * *

**I hope you peoples liked the chapter. Sorry if it is rather short... I hope I didn't screw up the story or anything making Terezah finally lose it. Thanks for the comments! I LOVE reading them! I'm not even joking... I love seeing what people think of my writing. I literally check my story every hour to see if a new comment has been posted. Maybe I'm the one who's psycho and not Terezah... LOL I just love comments. Anyways, thanks for the support! **

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	24. Chapter 24

Loki stared at Terezah who sat next to him. She had a blank look in her eyes, as if she wasn't there mentally. He was in a cell with Terezah and Sif. Sif was clutching her broken arm and Terezah was staring off into space. Terezah hadn't spoken a single word or even made a single sound since being placed in the cell. The cell was cold and dark. It was small and wet, water dripping from the ceiling, forming a little puddle in the corner. Loki wrestled with his chains. He and Sif were both chained, but Terezah wasn't. She just sat there wide-eyed, staring at nothing. No emotion crossed her face and her golden eyes seemed dull now. Loki sat in between Sif and Terezah.

"What's wrong with her?" Sif asked.

"I don't know." Loki said, looking over at Sif. He waved a hand in front of Terezah's face but she didn't even blink.

After a moment, Sif spoke again. "Where do you think Thor is?" She asked.

Loki thought about it. His brother and the Warriors Three would most likely be in Asgard, getting an army to come free Alfheim. All they needed was another war with the dark elves. So much for the peace offering. "I don't know." Loki replied. Loki again looked at Terezah. Her eyes hadn't shifted from the spot she had been staring at for hours. He watched her as she slowly blinked. Maybe he should try to communicate with her.

"Terezah?" He said. She didn't respond. He waved his hand in front of her face again, but she still didn't even acknowledge his presence. He turned her head to face him, but she still just stared off into space no matter what direction she was faced. "Are you in there?" He asked. Nothing.

"Blink if you can hear us." Sif said. Terezah still didn't respond. Maybe some sort of spell was keeping her from communicating. He placed a hand on her arm and closed his eyes.

* * *

He was standing in complete darkness, alone. He looked around, even wandered through her mind. He didn't see anything. He finally saw a tiny little spark of light. He ran towards it, trying to get closer. It felt like the closer he got, the farther away the spark became. Finally, he gave up on trying to get closer and stood there, watching the spark. Instead he decided to call out to it.

_Terezah! _

The spark flared a little bit. It started to get closer to him until it hovered in front of him. The spark illuminated the space around him, pushing away the darkness.

_Is that you?_

He asked the spark. It flared in brightness only a little, but Loki took this as confirmation.

_You have to let me in._

Loki told the spark. He needed a way to enter her mind so that he could talk to her and see what was going on. The spark of light seemed to grow bigger and bigger until it was larger than him. He walked into the light and it engulfed him. It was now pure white around him now and in front of him was Terezah. She was panicking. She was on her knees, her eyes shut tightly. A bead of sweat ran down the side of her ash grey face. She was shaking. She was clutching her head as if trying to keep something contained.

_Terezah?_

He asked her. Her eyes shot open, wider than he had ever seen. There was too much emotion in her eyes. Her golden eyes darted around in a panic as she tried to fight something off. Her eyes settled on him and he saw madness. That's all he could see in her eyes… insanity. She laughed bitterly with her eyes still focused on him. She let go of her head and her hands settled in her lap as she fidgeted restlessly. Her eyes continued to shift around after a few seconds.

_What's wrong?_

He asked. She just looked at him, a maniacal grin spread over her face. One of her eyes twitched when she looked at him again. She didn't answer him. Instead she curled into a ball, pulling her knees to her chest. She started rocking back and forth, singing some creepy lullaby slowly.

_What's wrong with you?_

He tried asking her again but she only snapped at him. _What's wrong with you? _She asked. She chuckled at herself and continued rocking back and forth, singing.

_Okay… _

Loki said uncertainly. He was getting nowhere with her.

_Snap out of it!_

He said forcefully. She just laughed at him.

_Snap out of what?!_

She said, standing up. She appeared to have completely lost it.

_You're acting strange…_

_Oh… Really? _She asked confused.

_You have to be alright! We need to get out of here!_

_Not everything isn't not going to be not alright. _Terezah said coldly.

What was she even talking about? That sentence made no sense whatsoever. _What? _

_Talking is talking without saying anything. So talk all you want, stupid. _She said and giggled, turning away from him.

_This is madness! _Loki stated.

_Everyone here is mad. If you haven't noticed I'm not all here myself. _She said, turning around and smirking at him.

_Who's we?_

_The voices. They have some great ideas. This one just told me to… _She stopped and giggled again. She waved at the air around her as if she was trying to brush something away. Loki just stared at her. She had completely lost it.

_Remember who you are! Come on! _Loki pleaded.

She looked at him and raised an eyebrow. _I knew who I was this morning, but I've changed a few times since then. Want some cake? _She asked. He watched as a huge cake twice as tall as him dropped out of nowhere in front of him. She knocked on the cake and it started to sparkle. She grinned maniacally.

_Focus! _Loki said forcefully. She didn't even look at him. She climbed up the cake and sat on the top looking down on him.

_Depends on what you want me to focus on. _She said. All of the sudden there was a pink sparkly fairy wand in her hand. She waved it around and sparkles poured out of nowhere onto his head. He was covered from head to toe in pink sparkles. She had some issues.

_You must suffer from insanity. _Loki said coldly.

_I don't suffer from insanity. I enjoy every moment of it. _

All Loki could do was stare at her. _Why don't you come back to me? _He asked. He felt hopelessness starting to creep into his heart.

_I don't think I was ever really there. _She said. She laughed and started eating a piece of cake. She was now dressed in a pink tutu ballerina dress. Pink fluffy clouds appeared over his head and it started raining strawberry flavored milk. He glared at Terezah. She was clearly enjoying herself. She slid backwards down the cake on her back, laughing the whole way until she reached the floor. She stared at him from an upside down view. She started singing a drinking song.

Loki grabbed Terezah roughly by the arm and forced her to stand up. She looked him in the eyes. Her eyes were still full of madness. _Who are you? _She asked.

Loki sighed in frustration and let go of her. _Wait! Let me guess! _She pleaded.

_Tyron?_

_No._

_Jila?_

_No._

_Madic?_

_No._

_Vallerie?_

_No._

_Sadiara?_

_No._

_Corgg?_

_No._

_Um… Vira?_

_No._

…_Lokitty?_

Loki tried to contain his frustration. _Yes._

_You don't look like a kitty cat… _She grinned and snapped her finger. He looked down and saw he was in a bright pink cat suit. He growled angrily. This just made her even happier. She started singing the drinking song again. She snapped her finger and he was suddenly sitting at a long table. It had many tea sets spread out. _Your mom tried to get me to drink this stuff. Never tried it before. Do you want some? _She asked. She was sitting opposite to him.

_No! _He shouted angrily. Besides the fact that everything was pink and sparkly, he was covered in glitter, dressed in a pink cat suit, sitting across from his ballerina friend who was eating another piece of cake, and it was raining strawberry milk… nothing could get worse.

Oh… how he was wrong. He tried talking to her but she wouldn't listen. She was balancing on a ball, juggling cats now. _Hey Lokitty! Look! I'm juggling your cousins!_

Loki face palmed. At least he was still sitting at the table. She jumped off the ball and the cats disappeared, reappearing on his head.

_Terezah! _He shouted angrily.

_What? _

_Stop! Just stop! Sit down and listen to me! _He shouted angrily.

_I'm suing you… _She said, suddenly angry at him.

The scene changed and he was sitting in a court room. A Terezah sat next to him dressed in a Midgardian suit. She wore glasses and held a briefcase. A Terezah wearing a powdered wig sat on a chair in the middle of the room. Several Terezah's dressed as police officers guarded the doors. The entire audience behind him was various versions of Terezah dressed up as people. Judge Terezah slammed a small wooden hammer down and it echoed through the room. _Order in the court! The accused-ed may step forward! _She shouted.

Terezah the lawyer pushed him forward and he stood in the middle of the room. He was pretty sure this wasn't how mortals actually judged people. _Say something! _She demanded. \

_Like what?_

_Guilty! _

_What?_

_Two points for saying 'what' twice._

_Points?_

_No._

_What?_

_Yes._

_What are you talking about?!_

_Super cows are not relevant to this court session. Minus two points. _

Loki stopped asking questions and just stared at the judge. At least he was dressed in his normal green armor again.

_The victim may speak. _Judge Terezah said.

Loki looked at a Terezah who sat behind a stand with a microphone. She was crying and dabbed at the corner of her golden eyes with a tissue. _Lokitty refused to play with me… and he was mean! _She sobbed. He heard the crowd of Terezah's behind him all start to cry and sob along with her.

_Twenty five points… _The Judge said through sobs. She banged the wooden hammer on the desk and suddenly the room disappeared. Terezah was standing in front of him. She was in her normal assassin clothes. Everything was empty around them except for the whiteness the engulfed the both of them.

_Poor Lokitty… Now he has negative one days in prison. _

_Negative one days?_

_Yes. What about it?_

_What are you talking about?!_

_Your cat peed on my couch. Also, that shade of pink matches you pretty well. Happy Birthday! _She shouted. Loki looked down and realized he was in a bright pink ball gown with a white sash that said 'Happy Birthday' on it.

_Mister Asgard wins this year's beauty pageant! Give him a hand folks! _Terezah shouted happily. The room started to fill with pink cats. They all started meowing. Then, everything started to float around. He was weightless and drifting through the air. He drifted for a few minutes, passing a variety of pink cats. Terezah's maniacal laugh echoed throughout her mind. Now she was singing the ABC's…

Then, he dropped to the ground, face-planting on the floor which was now made of purple jelly. He pushed himself up and stood on the very unstable ground. A shadow started to spread over him. He looked up to see a large dark elf man who had a knife in his hand. Deer sprinted past him with the faces of Terezah. They were either pink or purple. The jelly ground was near impossible to run on, but he had to get away from the man. He looked back and saw a little elf girl. She had golden eyes filled with sadness and terror. She started backing into the corner of the room he was now in. The knife dove towards her, cutting her shoulder open. Loki watched a figure race past him and jump in front of the child. The knife slid into the woman's chest and she sunk to the ground. The man screamed something in Druhir and ran out the door. The little girl crawled over to her mother and started shouting something, sobbing. She curled up next to the dying woman, and the woman whispered something before her golden eyes fluttered closed. Loki watched, feeling tears threatening to fall. It was absolutely horrible. He heard sobbing behind him. He turned around and saw Terezah looking normal again. She was kneeling on the floor covering her ears, desperately trying to block out the sounds of the scene that started to replay. Her hands slowly dropped from her ears and she sat there, limp. Her golden eyes looked over the scene.

Loki realized what the scene was. It was the death of her mother. He watched as the knife slid through the woman that looked a lot like Terezah. It was absolutely horrible to watch, but that was all he could see. Anywhere he turned that's what he saw. The little elf girl started crying again, but this time he could understand her.

_Mom?!_

The little girl cried. _Mom! _She shouted desperately, gripping her mother's hand. Loki closed his eyes, trying to push the scene out of his mind. He looked at the normal-ish Terezah who was kneeling on the floor, watching the scene hopelessly as fresh tears spilled down her cheeks. Her silver hair fell into her face, making it hard for him to see her eyes. She started sobbing.

Loki didn't want to see these things anymore. He tried to remember why he had come here in the first place, but couldn't remember. He had been here too long. He was starting to forget who he was and Terezah's memories were consuming him. He used all the energy he could to wake himself up.

* * *

His blue eyes shot open. Sif was looking at him worriedly. Cold sweat trailed down his face. He looked at Terezah who had tears in her eyes, but still had a look of emptiness about her. She was still staring off into space. He had failed to pull her out of her trance, and he was worried nobody ever would. He pushed the image of the little elf girl from his mind and forced himself to look at Sif.

"Are you crying?" Sif asked, staring at him in disbelief.

Loki wiped the tears from his face and leaned back against the wall, completely exhausted. "Apparently." He muttered. "How long was I out for?" He asked Sif.

"Two days. At first I thought you were just touching her arm for a while, but then I noticed both you and her seemed to have entered a trance. You kept making faces though, so I assumed you were doing some weird mind thing." Sif explained.

"Two days?!" He asked, completely shocked. He had been in Terezah's mind for two days!

"Yeah…" Sif said. "What is going on?" She asked, studying him.

"She has completely lost it. She is insane. I fear the Terezah we knew is no longer in there. Her mind is a complete mess. The Queen must have done something to her." Loki replied.

"Insane?" Sif asked.

"Yes. It is too weird to try and explain what happened. Whenever she did talk to me, her sentences didn't make sense. She seemed to be obsessed with the color pink…" Loki trailed off. He couldn't stop thinking about Terezah's mother. Terezah just telling him what had happened was horrible enough, but actually seeing it was something he would never get out of his mind. It was a nightmare.

"That's strange. Did magic do this to her?" Sif asked.

"I'm not sure. I don't know how sane she was in the first place. The Queen could have just used magic to help tip the scale." Loki reasoned. His stomach growled and he realized he hadn't eaten for a few days now.

"Have they sent us any food?" Loki asked.

"Yeah. Very tiny rations. Your bread is right there. It's probably dry, but at least it's something." Sif said, pointing to a tray. Loki scooted the tray towards him using his foot. It wasn't easy to move, especially since he was chained up. He took a bite of the dried bread. It cut up his mouth because of how hard it was, but he had to eat something. Loki looked over at Terezah. How long had it been since she had eaten? Did she need to eat in the state she was currently in? Sif placed a hand on Loki's shoulder and Loki looked at her.

"I wouldn't worry about her. If she's as insane as you say she is, I don't think wasting your food on her would be a good idea." As Sif said this, Loki felt a little angry. She was right though… he couldn't waste food on a person who wasn't there anymore. He took another bite of the hard bread. How would he be able to get out of this situation? He risked one more glance at Terezah. The tears in her eyes now spilt down her cheeks, but she showed no emotion besides the tears. She didn't wear a frown or a smile. She wore a straight face that showed absolutely no emotion. Loki sighed and looked away from her. His hope started to fade. She was gone.

* * *

**:( Sad... Is she really gone? Or is there hope still? You'll have to find out. Thanks for the new reviews. I'm glad you peoples think this story is good. :) Please tell me what you thought of this chapter. I hope I did a good job with making Terezah crazy.**

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	25. Chapter 25

It took Loki at least a week to muster the courage to go into Terezah's mind again. He had to convince her to snap out of it. This time, at least he was prepared for the insanity. He placed a hand gently on Terezah's arm and was surprised how cold she was. She still had the empty look in her eyes and still stared off into space, but he had gotten her to at least move once in the last week, so she had to be making some progress. He closed his eyes and pulsed his weak flow of magic into her. The cell was enchanted to block all magic, but he was good enough at magic to get past the spell even if it was only a little. He concentrated, willing himself into her mind. She easily gave in… which wasn't a very good sign. That meant she didn't have much control over her mind anymore.

He was surrounded in complete darkness like before, but this time he was able to spot the spark quicker. He called out to it, and it let him in. It was far dimmer than before, as if it had lost some of its luster. The whiteness surrounded him and he immediately wanted to get out of her mind again. It was even more of a mess than the last time he had been here.

Various animals floated through the air. Cats, dogs, cows, unicorns, bears… and animals he had never seen before. They were all various shades of pink. Pink fields with purple spots all over them seemed to stretch on forever. Orange trees grew on green triangular clouds, and a vast ocean was wear the sky should be, as if he was upside down, but the clouds made it seem like he was right side up. Giant clown dolls were doing slow somersaults through the air. He looked around, trying to avoid as many things as he could. He had to find Terezah, but she was nowhere in immediate sight. The farther away from the opening of her mind the deeper into insanity she would go, so Loki hoped he would find her soon.

He tried to contain his shock when he did find her. She was on a large boat in the 'sky ocean', upside down, but her hair fell up so it looked like she was right side up as well. She was having what appeared to be a tea party with at least four frost giants twice the size of her. The frost giants were dressed in pink tutus and wore pink tiaras, which contrasted their blue skin. Terezah was dressed in an elaborate pink ball gown which had little cat designs all over it. They were clinking their cups together, drinking what he thought might be tea, but he was scared to find out what it was if it wasn't tea. Instead of the 'tea' disappearing when they drank it, the cup disappeared, leaving the 'tea' suspended in air. After the cup was all gone, the 'tea' would explode in a tiny burst. Terezah laughed maniacally each time it happened.

As Loki stared up at the sky ocean, he wondered how he would be able to get up there. She startled him when she spoke to him all of the sudden. _LOKITTY! I am SO glad you came back to play! Come drink cups with us! _She invited and all of the sudden, the world seemed to flip and he fell onto the boat with the frost giants. He looked into Terezah's eyes… complete madness had consumed her. It was almost as if she wasn't fighting the insanity. Almost like she really did enjoy it.

_So I think I like this cup better than the other one… but I don't think the purple dress matches my roof full of spiders… What do you think? _She asked with a huge grin. Loki didn't understand what she had just said.

_What happened to you? Loki asked, trying to stay calm. _

_There was nothing and nothing happened to nothing and then nothing magically exploded for no reason, creating everything and then a bunch of everything magically rearranged itself for no reason whatsoever into bits which turned into a cat. _Terezah explained as if it all made sense to her.

Loki just sat there, completely confused. That made no sense. He didn't dare ask what she meant. _That made no sense! _Loki stated.

_I am under no obligation to make sense to you. Besides… sense isn't a whale that swims in everybody's garden. _Terezah said with a little pout.

_You're crazy! _Loki said angrily. He wanted to insult her… maybe she would realize what she was doing and stop.

_I'm not crazy! My reality is just different from yours! _She said with a grin. _Nobody can learn that your fur is delicious! _She shouted suddenly and jumped off the boat and into the sky ocean. Then, she fell to the ground and looked up at him. _Delicious FUR! You're it! _She said with a cackle and started running. Loki looked down at himself and found he was in the pink cat suit again. It seemed he wouldn't be able to communicate with Terezah after all. He started to pull away from her mind, stopping the flow of magic. For a brief second their eyes met and he saw a flash of panic at his departure.

Loki opened his eyes and looked around. He was still in the same dark cell with Sif and the brain dead Terezah. Loki looked at Sif who was asleep. He couldn't have been out for long. He was exhausted. Using that much energy to make a hole in the spell and then using his magic to enter Terezah's mind was very tiring. He leaned back against the wall and his eyes slid closed was more. He drifted off to sleep, having lost all hope of Terezah ever waking up again.

* * *

After Terezah felt Loki's presence leave, she continued her tea party with the ballerina frost giants. She knew she might seem crazy to Loki, but she didn't care. She didn't feel pain anymore. It was as if the huge chains of burden had been lifted off of her chest. And she didn't want to go back. She loved the feeling of no control. She started to drift into the air, trying to drink the cup away from her tea once more. She thought the cup tasted better than the tea anyways. She laughed at something in the distance that she hadn't noticed for a couple seconds and then turned when a shadow fell over her.

Her mouth went dry and she started to panic as she turned around and looked into her step-father's eyes. He held a knife in his hand and it started to come down on her again and again. She had relived this scene so many time she wondered why she never got over the fear. She screamed as she tried to run away from the dark elf, but she wasn't fast enough. He was gaining, and fast. She ran, her thoughts scrambled like they had been lately. She couldn't concentrate.

She tripped and somebody leapt in front of her as her step-father's knife was coming down on her. She sobbed at seeing her mother drop to the floor again. The pain became real again. Why couldn't she return to having fun and get rid of these nightmares?! Again, the scene played out. "Terezah." She heard a soothing voice call her. The sight of her mother drop to the floor filled her head and she couldn't think.

"Terezah." The voice called again. The voice was soft and calm. The screaming in her head increased and she let out of cry of pain.

"Terezah." The voice echoed. She focused on the voice. She opened her eyes and looked around. She was in the golden field from when she had passed out after saving Loki, the blue sky above her. Sanity returned to her and she could concentrate once again. She looked to the person that had called her name. Her mother stood in front of her, but did not look like a vision.

"I'm not a vision." her mother said with a hearty laugh. She knelt down next to her. "Terezah, you must let go of that day. Do not dwell on it." Her mother said, tilting her head up to meet her eyes. Terezah stared into the golden eyes the same as her own. Her mother embraced her. Terezah wrapped her arms around her mother and sobbed onto her shoulder. After the longest time, her mother pulled away and looked her in the eyes again.

"What is wrong my little flower?" Her mother asked, concern and love woven into her words.

"I do not know what my purpose is in life. I have been a pawn for many people to use. I have killed so many… I don't have any family that would accept me… and I am alone. What reason have I to live? I don't know if I can go on." Terezah said, tears streaming down her face.

After a moment's pause, her mother spoke again. "Do you know why I named you Terezah?" The woman asked.

"No…" Terezah replied, confused as to why her name was important.

"Let me tell you a story." Her mother said with a smile. "When I was with child, I was nervous about the future. I was upset and confused. Your father tried to comfort me, but he didn't understand what I was going through. One day, I became so upset I decided to take a walk. I was walking in the fields when suddenly I came by an old woman. She was carting around a wheelbarrow full of flowers. As the old woman passed me, she saw that I was crying and asked me what was wrong. I told her that I was with child for the first time and that I was nervous. Nobody understood me and I was confused. The old woman simply put her arm around me and smiled. She took a flower out of her cart and presented it to me. She said to me, 'My dear, this flower is called the Terezah. It grows only in the highest mountains, where the weather is the roughest and the sun shines little. But, it always grows. It blossoms and thrives in the hardest of conditions.' She then placed the small flower in my hand. 'You must stop being afraid of the future or you will never be able to focus on the present. You will never be able to blossom.' As I parted ways with the old lady, I held the small golden flower in my hand. When you were born, as I first looked into those bright golden eyes, I remembered the flower. Little Terezah." She said with a proud smile.

Terezah stared at her mother. Now that the story was finished, she was still confused as to why it was important for her to hear. "Life goes on, little flower. When something bad happens, you have three choices. You can let it define you, let it destroy you, or let it strengthen you. You are letting the past destroy you. You are withering away, dying in the storm. Look for the sunlight my flower. I love you… SO much. But neither of us can be truly happy if you continue on this path. It is time to wake up and face reality. You are not alone. There are people who love you. " Her mother said, pulling her into one last hug before everything around her faded.

Slipping into consciousness, the familiar weight of her chains were thrust upon her once more. She pushed them away, deciding not to be held captive anymore. She felt peace for a moment. Then, her eyes fluttered open.

* * *

**Yay! Terezah's awake again! :D Too bad she couldn't finish her tea party with the frost giants... Tell me what you think of the chapter! I love hearing from you peoples! ****I really appreciate the comments! I have already come up with the ending mostly, now all I have to do is write it. It will take another 5-10 chapters though. I really think you peoples will like it :) Thanks for all the support! It gives me a reason to keep writing. **

****To the 'guest' who commented on the true love thing, I really loved that idea but I had written the mother-daughter scene already. I might use that in the future though. Maybe not true love's kiss, but maybe something familiar to the ending of Frozen. An act of true love doesn't always have to be a kiss. :) I will put something like that in chapter 26 though. :) I did have a lot of fun writing the last chapter :D Also, thanks for saying I could be an author some day! I love writing and I was hesitant at first to post my story because I was afraid people wouldn't like my writing. Thank you!****

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	26. Chapter 26

Loki woke up and stretched, but remembered where he was when the cuffs around his hands stopped him from stretching further. He sighed and leaned back against the wall. A single beam of light poured into the room from a small hole in the ceiling. He looked at the large metal doors to the cell. It was so dark he could barely see past Sif who sat next to him, fiddling with her chains. Then he looked at Terezah. She was staring at the wall. Then she turned and looked at him. Loki stared in confusion. She was actually looking at him! She blinked slowly and sighed, turning away from him again.

"Terezah?" He asked, hope thrusting its way into his heart.

"What?" She asked glumly, not looking at him. Her golden eyes were studying the dungeon cell.

"Are you… okay?" Loki asked uncertainly.

"As okay as I can ever seem to get." She muttered.

"You're awake…" Loki stated.

"It would seem." She replied.

Loki studied her. There was something different about her. She was really grumpy right now, but that wasn't it. Something in her eyes. He couldn't tell what was different, but she certainly wasn't acting like a lunatic.

Her voice broke his thoughts. "How long was I out for?" She asked, staring up at the light coming into the room from the tiny hole in the ceiling. The light filled her golden eyes making them glitter.

"About two weeks." Loki replied.

She just nodded. "What about the royal family?" She asked.

"I don't know. I was knocked out after your Queen told us we had failed."

"She is NOT my queen!" Terezah snapped angrily. After a long silence, she spoke again. "I felt your presence in my mind."

"Yes. I was trying to get you out of your trance." Loki explained.

"I am sorry for the things you might have seen…" She trailed off, awkwardness seemed to weigh heavily in the air.

"It wasn't anything too bad… I've just never seen you in pink before." Loki said with a mischievous grin.

Her head snapped to look at him, an eyebrow raised in mock challenge. "I hadn't ever seen you in a pink cat suit." She shot back. Her golden eyes focused on him and they narrowed. "I don't remember much… it was all sort of fuzzy to me, but I do remember you in a cat suit." She said with a small smile playing on her lips.

"What is your obsession with pink and cats anyways?" Loki asked curiously.

"I had a pet cat once. I used to dress it up in a pink tutu. His name was Mr. Pink." Terezah said with the small smile growing fondly.

"You dressed a male cat in pink? That's cruel." Loki determined.

* * *

Terezah had to get out of here. A sudden feeling of panic came over her. She didn't like cages. Too many bad experiences. It felt like she had been here before…

"Are you sure you're alright?" Loki asked, seriously.

"Yeah…" Terezah replied, not really caring what he was saying. She had to figure out why she remembered this place. Had she been held here before? Probably. She had been in so many prisons and cages she couldn't keep track. She closed her eyes and tried to think. She thought about all the times she had come to Alfheim, about being thrown in the dungeon at least four times, about escaping all four times. It had been a while though, so she struggled to remember how she had escaped.

"…What do you think?" Loki asked.

She looked at him. She had completely tuned him out. She shrugged sheepishly and looked around the cell, just barely noticing Sif. Sif was staring at her, trying to determine what to think of her. "Hello Sif." Terezah said, breaking the staring contest between the two.

"How did you wake?" Sif asked, her scrutinizing eyes trying to pierce Terezah's golden orbs.

Terezah didn't want to tell Sif of all people about her mother, so she decided to lie instead. "After Loki left this last time, it made me realize what was going on and I was able to wake up." Terezah said simply. She could lie pretty well, but when she looked at Loki she knew he saw through the lie. At least Sif seemed to buy it.

"Loki went inside your mind more than once?" Sif asked.

"Yes." Terezah said, glancing at Loki who shifted uncomfortably.

There was another long pause. Terezah took this time to try and think about her previous escapes. She finally remembered and it brought a smirk to her face. She had been in this cell before! She scooted to the very back corner of the room and sat as close to the wall as she could. Since her hands were cuffed behind her back, she wouldn't be able to see what she was doing so easily. She felt around, taking time to run her fingers over each brick, searching for what she hoped was still there. The wall was cold and slightly damp. The grey bricks were smooth under her touch. Finally, her fingers grazed over small scratches that formed the Shadow Warrior symbol. She smiled to herself and dug her fingers into the crevices around the brick, working it out of the wall.

Loki and Sif finally looked over at her, curious as to what she was doing. She motioned for Loki to come over to help her. His hands were cuffed in front of him, so he pulled out the brick with no problem. "Give me the metal pin." Terezah said. In the back of the brick there was a little section that had been carved out, forming a small shelf. On the shelf sat a small metal toothpick looking thing. Loki took it out and slipped it into her hands. She stood up, trying her best not to fall because of the chains. There was only one around her right ankle, but it was rather short, so she would have to try and reach the best she could.

She reached the limit to her chain and leaned the rest of the way, her back against the metal bars to the cell. She pushed her hands out between the bars and found the lock. She shoved the metal toothpick into the keyhole and fiddled around with it. She had done this type of thing before many times. She had even been trained to pick locks, but backwards with no sight of the lock made it a bit of a challenge. She fiddled around with the lock for almost ten minutes. Loki and Sif had caught onto what she was doing, so they gave her some space to concentrate. Finally the lock clicked and she pushed the door open with a satisfied grin. Her entire body ached from staying in one position, and it wasn't a very comfortable position to begin with. She stretched and moved her arms and legs around. The type of locks on the chains and cuffs wouldn't allow her to be able to pick them with such a small object, but the open door would surely draw attention. All she had to do was wait for a guard to come to shut the door, steal a dagger from them and break the cuffs open with the dagger.

She forced Loki and Sif to move to the darkest corner that would be the hardest to see them in and they waited. After about an hour one did come along and immediately grew alarmed with the open cell door. He rushed to the entrance and peered into the room. He fell for the trap and took a few steps into the dark cell, looking for the prisoners. Terezah pounced on him. She kept track of the length of the chain so it wouldn't cut her short and allow him escape. She tripped him and he dropped to the floor, quickly trying to get back up. He shouted for help just before Terezah snapped his neck and he lay there dead on the floor. She turned around and picked up his sword. She turned her back to Loki and Sif and threw the sword their direction so they could reach it.

She knew guards would be upon them soon, so she instructed them how to break the chains by hitting a point on the cuff. After a few moments, Loki was free and so was Sif. Loki broke the chain on her ankle, and was about to do her hands when the guards finally arrived.

"Stand down. You are clearly outnumbered." One of the guards said. There were about six, but she didn't doubt more were on their way.

Terezah chuckled coldly, watching the guards visibly shiver in front of the ex-Shadow Warrior. "We may be outnumbered, but it is you who are outmatched." She said. She jumped and quickly swung her arms under her feet and to the front so that her cuffed arms weren't at her back anymore. When her feet landed on the ground again, she bolted towards the first one, kicking the sword out of his hand and knocking him as hard as she could into the wall. The guard hit his head and she heard a sickening crack. She turned to the next guard and disarmed him. She threw her cuffed hands over his head, the chain digging into his neck, choking him. Loki and Sif took down the two. Finally Terezah's guard passed out from lack of oxygen and she let him slump to the floor. She took down the remaining guards quicker than the first two. There was no time to try and get the cuffs off of her hands, so they would have to stay on for now.

"Follow me." She commanded. Loki and Sif followed her closely, trying their best to keep up. Terezah sprinted down the hall, quickly glancing in cells to look for any members of the royal family. She had taken down three other guards so far, looking through the cells. Finally, she found Her Highness, Sadi, in a cell by herself. Sadi looked up at her and glared. Terezah didn't care as now was not the moment for a grudge match. Now that she was able to use her magic again, she conjured a tiny dagger and thrust it into the keyhole, twisting it expertly. It opened within seconds and Sadi stepped out of the cell. Apparently Her Highness didn't need anything to restrain her. No cuffs… or chains…

"Where's the rest of your family?" Terezah asked before she thrust a dagger into a guard's heart and he dropped to the floor.

"Why should I care?" Sadi asked in a grumpy voice.

"Because they're your family!" Terezah said angrily, taking down another guard.

"I don't know." Sadi said, watching Terezah take down three guards at the same time using just her hands.

"We have to get out of here!" Sif said urgently.

Terezah's golden eyes darted around, searching for the way out. Her Highness started running down a hall so Terezah, Loki, and Sif followed. Sadi lead them to an exit, where there was a guard. Terezah took him down quickly, and then she noticed her belt sitting on the floor by the door. She grinned. Her trusty belt. Always there when she needed it. It contained many things that aided her such as various poisons, lock picks, small food rations such as nuts and dried meat, her shape-shifting staff, matches, a small pocket knife, a sharpening stone, the key to Loki's chambers, the map to Asgard's palace, tiny poisoned arrows that were left over from the competitions with Thor and his friends, a spool of thread, a needle, some money, a small tube of healing ointment, her animal whistle, and small throwing knives. She grabbed her belt and slung it over her shoulder. She didn't care about her other stuff. All she had time to grab was her belt.

Terezah picked the lock to the door in front of them and opened it. There weren't any guards immediately behind them, so they might have a chance to hide. Terezah's heart pounded as she clung to the ceiling. It was just dark enough they would probably not notice her unless they looked up and studied the ceiling. It was times like these she was thankful she always wore black. After a little over twenty guards later, Terezah hurriedly jumped down from the ceiling and shut the door to the dungeon softly, locking it.

"We should split up." Sif suggested.

"Why?" Loki asked.

"Because it would make us less noticeable." Sif replied.

"Sounds like a great idea. Where should we meet?" Terezah asked.

"There's a forest on the west side of the city. That would be a good place." Sadi spoke up. Terezah didn't trust Her Highness. She was acting too strange.

"How do we know we can trust you?" Terezah asked, golden eyes narrowing to slits.

"I'm the princess. You're the one nobody should trust. You got us captured!" Her Highness snapped.

"I'm the assassin. I was holding back the guards so you could get away, your Highness. I have done more than enough to prove I can be trusted." Terezah glared. Her Highness returned the glare, daring Terezah to even blink. Things started to heat up before Loki stepped in.

"Let's all just trust each other. We don't have time to argue. Since you and the princess obviously don't get along, I'll go with you and she'll go with Sif. We'll meet at the west of the city. Let's go!" Loki said before Terezah and Sadi could continue arguing. Terezah gave Her Highness one last hateful glance before she nodded at Loki and sprinted off down the hall to the right. She heard Loki following a little ways behind her.

_Stupid light elves… thinking they're in charge of everything. _Terezah thought as she turned down another corridor. She shoved a guard into the wall, slitting his throat before he could speak. _'I'm the princess' Blah blah blah… Stupid princess… stupid royal family… stupid light elves… _She tripped a guard and shoved a dagger into his stomach. She kicked him off her blade and kept running. _Stupid mission… I'd rather be drinking tea with ballerina frost giants. _Terezah thought to herself. She jumped on the wall, springing herself off of it and flipping over a guard. She drove her dagger through the back of his neck and pulled it out. The guard died quickly, falling to the floor. She turned around and saw Loki staring wide eyed at her.

"What?" She asked, irritated.

"You just killed over twenty guards." Loki said in slight awe.

Terezah looked around at the floor. She hated when she wasn't paying attention to who she was killing while she was killing them. She had been caught up in her thoughts, too distracted to notice she was fighting so many guards. "Yeah… Got a bit distracted. I'll save some for you later." Terezah said and started running again. _Have to stay focused… stay focused… _She thought desperately as she felt a pang of madness edge into her mind. She had to stay focused.

* * *

**Thanks for all the comments! I LOVE THEM! :D I hope you peoples are still enjoying my story and it isn't dragging on too much. I try to keep it exciting... so I hope it isn't getting boring. A thing I should clarify so you guys don't get confused; whenever Terezah mentions 'Her Highness', she is reffering to Princess Sadi. Anyways, please leave a comment and tell me what you thought of this chapter, or if you want to recommend anything that you want to see in the future of this story. Thanks!**

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	27. Chapter 27

The dark elf Queen, Delotha, sat on the tall pearl white throne. Light Elves liked light colors too much… she would have to change the color scheme later to something more comfortable, like black. She closed her eyes and pondered the current situation. Her assassin had just betrayed her after almost four and a half centuries of service. Luckily, the assassin wouldn't ever wake up again, which she was glad of. Both princes of Asgard were in her dungeon, and one of them seemed to be the reason for her assassin's betrayal. She had managed to take over the capital city of Amon'tal and a few surrounding cities. The royal family was in the dungeon.

She would have to be careful with the princes of Asgard. She didn't want Odin coming after her just yet. Her full invasion force wasn't ready to take on Asgard. Maybe she could ransom them or sell them on the black market. She would have to decide their fate later. For now, she had to ponder how to execute the royal family. Maybe a huge public ceremony. It would cripple the light elves to see their beloved royal family killed in the town square.

A smirk played on the Delotha's lips. She had dreamed about taking over the nine realms since she was a child. Her mother had always taught her that life was neither good nor evil, but a battle field for good and evil. Of course her mother had been right. Her mother had also taught her to take advantage of other's disadvantages. She had killed her mother at the age of twelve and taken the throne, plotting the invasion of Alfheim ever since. Her mother's one weakness had been her only daughter, so Delotha had decided to take advantage of that weakness.

She drummed her fingers on the arm rest to the throne. The throne was way too shiny, and was giving her a headache. She felt irritated and on edge. She was waiting for her mercenary to come back with information, and the mercenary was certainly taking their time. She had never met the mercenary in person, but she did know they were Asgardian. They would be bringing her information on the state Odin was in and how close to the Odin Sleep he was. Delotha knew that once Odin was in the Odin Sleep, Asgard wouldn't have their wise leader to help them. Queen Frigga might get in the way, but Delotha could put an end to her once the need arose.

A guard walked into the room and kneeled before her. Delotha signaled for him to stand. "My Queen. Your mercenary has come with a message for you." The guard informed her.

"Send them in." Delotha commanded.

The guard bowed and left the room. After a couple minutes of waiting, the mercenary came into the room. Delotha signaled for the guards in the room to leave. Once the doors closed and they were alone, Delotha cast a spell on the room to make it impenetrable to listening ears.

The mercenary had a grey cloak on and a hood that covered their face, making it hard to see who they were. They were obviously skilled in combat judging by the way they stood and dressed. Maybe this mercenary could be used further to her advantage. "What news do you bring?"

"Odin is at least a month away from the Odin Sleep, but is getting weaker by the day."

Delotha felt pleased. She wasn't expecting the Odin Sleep so soon. This meant she would be able to take over Asgard sooner. "Good." Delotha said with a twisted smirk. "You will be paid in full just as I promised. You are dismissed."

The mercenary turned to go, but then stopped. This made Delotha raise an eyebrow. "I would like a different kind of reward your majesty." The mercenary said with a coy smile.

"What do you have in mind?" The Queen asked, eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"I would like to pledge myself to your services. As payment, I will be made your new Shadow Warrior."

Delotha was a little uneasy about this mercenary. They seemed too eager for something. But, she did need a new assassin, and this mercenary would provide an excellent pawn. She just couldn't see what the mercenary would be gaining from this. "And what do you hope to achieve as my Shadow Warrior?" Delotha asked.

"Revenge on someone who broke my heart." The mercenary said with a cold glare.

Manipulating people who wanted revenge was so easy. Delotha had taken over Terezah because of her blind hatred towards her mother's murderer. She had been able to play Terezah to whatever extent because her need for revenge. Those assassins always made the best pawns. "And who is it that broke your heart?" The Queen asked.

"Loki Odinson."

Excitement coursed through the Queen's vanes. An excellent plan came to her mind. "Do you swear to serve me, honor my command, and protect me until your death or age permits?" Delotha asked.

"I swear." The mercenary said with a cold smirk.

"Good. I have just the place for you in my strategy. One in which you will be able to get revenge on this Odinson. What is your name?"

"Freya."

_Perfect…_

* * *

**"Delotha" translates to "Hate" in elven BTW... Just thought that would be a cool thing to point out. Anyways... I have been thinking about doing a sequel to this story where Terezah gets to meet the Avengers. What do you guys think? If that isn't something you peoples would read then I won't write it. I really love Terezah and I don't want her story to end, but it has to end sometime. I think it would be hilarious if she met the Avengers. **

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	28. Chapter 28

Terezah bolted through the forest as fast as she could. It was times like these she was thankful for being a runner. She wove through the trees, not stopping to look back. She ran through the many bushes and saplings that lined the forest floor, careful to look for anything that could trip her. She jumped over a large rock and kept on running, hearing the guards jump over the rock ten seconds after her. She could easily take them down, but if she stopped, more guards would catch up with her. The wisest thing to do right now was to lose them. The darkness of night made it near impossible to see where she was going, but she had lived in the darkness for centuries, she had been part of it, knowing the darkness like a friend. She knew she would have the advantage if she could get to a denser part of the forest.

Terezah was sure the heavy armor the guards wore would weigh them down and make them too tired to run soon. She kept on running, eventually hearing dogs start to chase her. She didn't like killing hounds, but if she had to she would. She risked looking over her shoulder and saw that the guards had indeed gotten tired, so they had sent their hounds after her, who were now loping towards her at amazing speeds. She had no choice but to climb a tree now. She quickly bolted up the nearest tree, climbing as high as the limbs would permit.

The closest hound jumped and sprang into the air. Terezah new she had made a mistake as soon as the hound's feet left the ground, scratching at the tree limb just below her before it fell down again. It had jumped impossibly high for a hound, so she studied it closer and her heart sunk. They weren't hounds at all. They were ice wolves. She cursed in her native tongue and climbed higher up the tree. Ice wolves were known for their strength and speed. She was lucky this one hadn't jumped as high as it could have.

She had owned an ice wolf before. It was a long time ago. His name had been Khelek'duin, which meant "Ice River" in Druhir. He had stood taller than her, with powerful legs and frightening fangs. His coat had been a glossy white, with blue eyes that put sapphires to shame. He wasn't a pet. He was a friend. One of the only friends who had ever been loyal to her. It was a rite of passage for a warrior to tame an Ice Wolf from Niflheim. When she had gone, she hadn't tamed him, but befriended him. Forming a bond with him in which nothing could break. But, she had let him go, able to walk free on Niflheim with his pack once again. The Queen had scoffed at her for doing such a thing, but Terezah had seen his misery in being trapped away from his family… and nobody should have to go through that. Though the parting had been hard on both of them, she knew he was happier on Niflheim.

Now, she knew why her enemy had always cowered in fear whenever she and Khelek confronted them. Ice Wolves were terrifyingly powerful. The Queen must have brought Ice Wolves with her when she had come here. They were the best hunters in the nine realms. Able to survive extreme cold and run twice as fast as almost anything could. It was times like these she wished she had Khelek by her side. He would have towered above the wolves circling below her, and taken all of them out twice as fast.

There were about seven wolves, all springing into the air, clawing at the tree, trying to get to her. A wolves' jaws snapped near her leg, just barely missing her. She was as far up as she could go now. She dodged wolves the best she could. She turned her head just in time to see razor sharp claws swipe a mere inch from her face. _Sorry Khelek… _She thought to herself. She pulled out her shape-shifting staff, making it growing into a mace. Sleek spikes grew out of the ball on the end, growing until they were as long as her pinky, deathly sharp. The runes stopped glowing and she held the black mace in her hand. She had trained with every type of weapon she could get her hands on, and right now, a mace was the perfect choice.

She swung the spikey ball into the face of an ice wolf. It yelped loudly and dropped to the ground, blood gushing out of its eye. Terezah dodged another row of fangs and swung the mace into the wolves' shoulder, tearing its muscles apart. That would only prevent it from jumping so high. The first wolf she had hit bolted away, cowering in fear and pain. She felt bad for it, remembering Khelek. She hated this. She swung at the wolves, hitting them time and time again. They were definitely strong. The spike would dig into them, but unless she could hit their faces, it was almost useless. Her weapon was drenched in blood now. The remaining six wolves were drenched in blood too, most of it theirs.

She managed to kill another wolf. She was getting tired. Running all day, fighting guards, and then battling seven huge ice wolves was quite a workout. Her body ached from the scratches and bite marks all over her legs and arms. A bead of sweat rolled down her face, but then she realized it was blood. Not good. Head injuries wasn't what she need right now. She hoped it wasn't her blood. She swung at another wolf, but they were getting better at dodging her blows.

Then, the wolves turned their heads towards a different direction, looking at something rustling in the bushes. A gigantic wolf five times bigger than all of them jumped out from behind the bushes. The ice wolves took no time bolting off. Soon, the last one was out of sight. Terezah knew she wouldn't be able to defeat such a big creature. She sat back against the trunk, hoping it hadn't spotted her. Then, she heard a voice.

"Thought you could use some help." Loki said, coming out from behind the wolf. The wolf shimmered and disappeared in a flash. It was an illusion. She cursed again in her native tongue.

"I could have handled it just fine." Terezah huffed, but a smirk escaped onto her face. She climbed down from the tree, and Loki walked over to her. She sat against the tree trunk, examining her wounds. She winced and drew in a sharp breath as she touched one of the large cuts that ran down her thigh.

"Sure…" Loki said, now looking at her wounds also. "You took quite a beating… but I'm pretty sure those wolves looked worse though."

Terezah rolled her eyes and held out her hand. Loki grabbed it and helped her stand up. He wiped the blood that was now on his hand onto her shirt where there hadn't been any. "Thanks." Terezah said sarcastically.

"As much as I love wolf blood on my hands, I don't really like the stain." Loki said with a grin.

"That's why I always wear black. It doesn't stain as easily. You should wear less green." Terezah commented.

"Not going to happen." Loki said. "Thanks for covering for me back there."

"Sure." Terezah replied. Running out of the city had been extremely difficult. There had been guards at every turn. There were so many dark elves here now. She had held the guards back as long as she could to allow Loki, Sif, and Her Highness to get away. She shrunk her mace into a scimitar and wiped the blood from the blade onto Loki.

"Hey!" He cried out in protest and pushed the curved sword away from him. He rubbed at the red that now stained the cloth under his shoulder armor and groaned. "That's not coming out."

"Like I said… You should wear more black." Terezah said with a smirk. "Besides… I don't think stains are our biggest worries right now. Where are Sif and Princess Sadi?" Terezah asked.

"They are in a cave just south of here. We better get a move on before those wolves come back." Loki said, looking at the place where the ice wolves had disappeared.

"Good idea." Terezah said. She muttered a healing spell, and her wounds healed at least half way. She clasped her scimitar to her belt. She walked with Loki through the woods, keeping alert. They walked for almost an hour before they finally reached it. She didn't see it at first, but then she saw it. It was an opening just big enough for a person to fit into. A large boulder stood in front of it and the trees towered around it, making it near impossible to see. That made her wonder how they had found it in the first place.

She took a cautious step towards the opening and looked down into the hole. She couldn't see anything but blackness. She looked at Loki who motioned for her to go in. Experience taught her not to jump into random holes without knowing how deep they were. "Princes first." Terezah said, turning to Loki. He rolled his eyes and walked passed her. He lowered himself into the hole and was gone. Now knowing for sure it was safe, she lowered herself into the hole.

The "cave" was about as big as her room on Asgard. She was surprised it hadn't collapsed or something. Moonlight poured into the cave, lighting only a little ways in. Sif and Loki were talking, and now that her eyes had adjusted better, she could see Her Highness leaning against the wall, asleep.

"What's our next move?" Sif asked.

"I don't know… My brother and the Warriors Three are gone, probably captured. All the surrounding cities won't dare help yet. None of the light elves know how to fight properly. The dark elf Queen has the royal family and is most likely going to execute them if she hasn't already… At least we have an assassin." Loki said, glancing at Terezah.

Then, Terezah noticed somebody else in the cave. A light elf with blue eyes. A man. Her heart pounded in her chest at the sight of him. Adrenaline rushed through her vanes and rage clouded her thoughts. "What is he doing here?!" Terezah asked angrily, pointing at the man in the corner of the cave. It took all her self-control not to kill him immediately.

Loki and Sif looked at the man and then back at her. "This is Za-" Loki started, but Terezah interrupted.

"I know who he is!" She snapped.

"He's going to be helping us. He worked as a merchant, so he knows the city rather well." Loki said. He turned to Zaos. "You know her?"

"Yes…" Zaos said, backing away from Terezah, afraid she would slit his throat. And he should be afraid. Terezah's hands clenched into fists and she started shaking slightly. Tears threatened to fall. _Let go of that day… _She thought desperately, but she couldn't. She just couldn't. Her self-control slipped. She conjured a dagger and it lodged itself in his arm. She couldn't stop herself. Loki held her back while she tried desperately to charge him. She easily could have gotten out of Loki's grasp, but she knew he was stopping her from killing someone who could help them.

"Terezah!" Loki shouted. "Calm down!"

She tried to wrench her hand from his grip, but he held her hands tightly. Sif pulled the dagger out of Zaos' arm. "I'm so sorry!" Sif said.

"No… I probably deserved that." Zaos said glumly.

Loki pulled her outside and let go of her finally. She fell to the ground and sobbed. All she could think of was how much pain he had caused her. She wanted to scream, but she knew that could alert someone to their location. Instead, she curled up in a ball and cried silently. "Why did you do that?!" Loki asked angrily.

Terezah didn't respond. She just kept crying. Forcing herself not to go back into the cave and kill the man who had murdered her mother. Loki asked her again, but she ignored him. The scar on her shoulder burned as if it were a fresh cut with acid being poured on it. She clutched her shoulder, trying to ease the pain that her mind had most likely conjured. After a while, Loki knelt beside her, forcing her to look him in the eyes.

"Why did you do that?" He asked calmly.

"I HATE him." Terezah spat through gritted teeth.

"He's a nice guy. Why do you hate him?" Loki asked.

Terezah stared into his blue eyes. He would understand if she told him. But she didn't want to. She didn't want to share the hurt that she felt. She didn't want it to go away. It had given her something to work for again. She wanted so badly to rip Zaos' heart out of his chest. Then, she remembered the little girl with the green eyes. The one that had saved Zaos from her wrath. She was the only thing keeping him alive.

"Why do you hate him?" Loki asked again.

Terezah stood up. "Someone… from my past…" She muttered. She had to let off some steam. Loki didn't follow her. He just stood there and watched as she chucked daggers at trees. He sat down and patiently waited for her to calm down. She was in a dangerous mood. She had to get her self-control back. How had she lost control like that? She always had control over her actions. But back in the cave, she had slipped up. She had lost herself for a split second, just like when she had battled the guards in the hallway earlier that day. _Keep it together… _She thought as she hurled another dagger.

After almost a half an hour, she finally gave up dagger throwing and sat at the base of a tree, leaning against the trunk. Loki was still waiting, and when she sat down, he sat next to her. Her eyelids slid closed and tears streamed down her face. Tears of defeat. Tears of pain. She opened her eyes and focused on Loki who was sitting patiently next to her, waiting for her to tell him.

She let out a shaky sigh. "Zaos is my step-father…" She said quietly, weakly even.

Loki's eyes widened. "What?!" He asked in disbelief. There was a silence that hung in the air for another minute before he spoke again. "How…?"

"After he killed my mother, he ran away. Apparently a sorcerer turned him into a light elf. Now he has a family and everyone loves him." Terezah said angrily.

Loki placed a hand on her shoulder. The one with the scar. She winced and tried to shake his hand off, but it stayed there. He was forcing her to look him in the eyes again. "You have carried this hate for your step-father for too long. You have to let go at some point or it will drive you mad." Loki said calmly.

"I think I already am." Terezah replied with a sad chuckle.

"Only when you're having a tea party with ballerina frost giants." Loki said with a small smile.

A tired smile played on Terezah's lips. "I'm not apologizing if that's what you expect me to do." She said.

"I would never expect you to apologize now that I know who he is."

Terezah's smile faded and she looked away. Tears continued to stream down her face. Stupid feelings. She would rather not feel anything than to feel the constant pain that pounded in her chest. She leaned back against the tree and Loki put his arm around her. When was last time someone had been there for her like Loki was right now? A few centuries? Why did he still trust her?

"Why do you trust me?" Terezah asked.

Loki looked at her, but she didn't return his gaze. "Why wouldn't I?"

"I lied to you… I faked my death." Terezah said.

"You did it for an honorable purpose. Besides, how could I hold a grudge against someone who has saved my life so many times?"

Terezah leaned her head against him. For a moment, just this moment, she felt peaceful. All the pain faded as if Loki had taken it away. Nobody had ever been there for her like he had. Not Vallerie. Not Tyron. Not her Queen. Only her mother had ever put an arm around her and taken away the pain. It had been so long since someone had comforted her. So long.

They sat there in silence for a while. Terezah never wanted this moment to end. She didn't want the peaceful feeling to leave her. She remembered what her mother had told her. _"You are not alone. There are people who love you." _Terezah pondered this. The word 'love' was foreign to her. She had believed that love didn't even exist, but as she leaned against Loki, listening to his heartbeat, she wondered if maybe she did love him.

She wasn't in love with him. No romantic feelings. He was almost like a brother to her. She had talked to him about her past before, which she had never done with anyone besides Queen Frigga. She trusted him. She had never trusted anyone as much as she trusted Loki. She didn't want to get attached though. She couldn't risk anchoring herself to anything that might get in the way of a mission. She stood up and Loki followed as they went back to the cave. She took a deep breath before going in. She couldn't afford to lose herself again.

"Are you going to be okay?" Loki asked.

"Yeah…" She said.

She lowered herself into the hole in the ground. The first thing she noticed was Sadi, who was glaring at her and Loki, as if accusing her of something. She rolled her eyes and sat on the "wall" nearest to the opening and farthest away from Zaos. She refused to look at him. She knew if she did she wouldn't be able to stop herself. Loki went and sat by Sif and Zaos. Terezah wondered what Loki thought of Zaos. Loki was studying Zaos, but she didn't see anything but curiosity and a little bit of confusion. Almost as if he was trying to figure out if Zaos was really her step-father.

She met Zaos' eyes. She refused to look away. She wouldn't let any fear present itself in front of her mother's murderer. It was as if time slowed down. Terezah didn't notice that Loki and Sif had stopped talking and were glancing back and forth between the two, getting ready to break up a fight. Terezah searched his eyes for any hint of deception. Anything that would give her a reason to kill him. But she saw nothing… so far. Hate boiled through her vanes. A pang of madness hit her and she had to squeeze her eyes shut, trying to wait it out. Her thoughts scrambled and started to run around in a mess. The room started to spin. She could hear her heart pounding loudly in her ears. A bead of sweat ran down her face.

A child screamed. A mother died. A monster ran.

Her entire being screamed at her to kill him. She fought the urge with all her mental strength. It wasn't like the last time she had confronted him. This time, she knew madness was just a few inches away, sneaking up on her, ready to pounce. She pulled herself out of it, yanking her thoughts back in order. She slumped against the wall, her eyes still closed.

She remembered that she was still covered in wolf blood when she felt the dry coat on her hands, legs, and neck. She would have to find a stream or something to wash it off. She forced herself to think of anything but Zaos. Anything but him. The weather, the cave, her Queen, Her Highness, the royal family. Anything but him. Hours later, she knew that everyone was asleep. It was just her that was awake. Morning would come in just a few more hours and she tried desperately to sleep. Her mind still wandered, but finally, even her madness decided it was exhausted and let her mind shut down. Darkness took over her mind like it so often had, and she fell asleep.

* * *

**I hoped you peoples liked this chapter. Please tell me what you think. As I said in my last note, I am thinking about writing a story with Terezah meeting the Avengers. So far, the people who have commented think it would be a good idea. If you haven't commented your opinion on that, please do. I don't want to write something nobody will read. I am also thinking about bringing Khelek into the story for reals. Idk though...Thanks to those of you who have read this far! I hope it hasn't gotten boring. I am open to any and all suggestions and I absolutely LOVE IT when you guys comment and favorite/follow. :)**


	29. Chapter 29

_Terezah sat on the floor in her room, playing with toy unicorns. The small wooden toys were painted a beautiful pearl pink with golden manes, braided with flowers. They were decorated with small jewels and glittered. She only had two, but she absolutely loved them. Her mother had gotten them for her for her ninth birthday, and luckily her step-father had stumbled off drunk. He had been gone for a couple days now, and Terezah hoped he would never come back. She made one of her toy unicorns "gallop" across her room floor, and the other one was eating in an imaginary field. _

_Her mother came into her room and sat down next to her. "Can I play too?" Her mother asked with a warm smile. Her mother looked so fragile. She was still healing from her step-father's last beating, and her arms and neck were covered in welts. Her step-father didn't beat their faces usually because it would raise suspicions. "Yeah." Terezah said. Her mother took the toy unicorn that had been eating in the imaginary field and made it gallop to Terezah's unicorn. They played with the unicorn toys for almost an hour, laughing and smiling. Forgetting the monster that was bound to come home any time soon. _

_Then, the door to her room swung open and there was her step-father. He looked really angry. He was swaying a little and leaning on the door frame for support, obviously drunk. "What er you doin'? Makin' a fool out of me?" He asked in a slurred voice. Vira tried to respond, but Zaos rushed forward and slapped her hard across the face. Terezah went to see if her mother was alright, and that's when her step-father noticed her. He grabbed Terezah roughly by the arm and shoved her against the wall so hard she felt like her entire back had been split in two. Terezah screamed in pain, and her mother tried desperately to pry his arms off of her. _

_Zaos hit her mother across the face once more and let Terezah go, letting her fall to the floor. He ran towards her mother and dragged her out of the room, shutting and locking the door behind them. Terezah sat alone in the room, listening to cries of pain and shrieks. She heard something shatter and then her step-father shouted again. Terezah curled up on her bed, holding the toy unicorns close to her chest. She rocked back and forth, trying to hold back tears. She knew the kids at school weren't treated this way. What had she and her mother done to deserve this? Terezah felt like it was all her fault. She had seen her mother get beaten before, but never for this long. She tried to stay calm, tried to drown out the sounds of heavy thudding as her step-father threw her mother across the room. _

_Finally, she let the tears spill out of her eyes. Her mother was the only person she had. The other kids at school bullied her and added to the collection of bruises and cuts on her body. She had no one to turn to but her mother, and she couldn't do anything to save her. She started sobbing, praying that it would end soon. _

_After a while, it stopped. She heard a door slam and Terezah rushed to the window. Her room faced the backyard, and outside the back door was her mother. Terezah shrieked in horror when she saw her mother. Her clothes were soaked in blood, her face almost unrecognizable because of the many… many… many cuts and welts that now covered it. Her clothes were torn up, and that made it easier to see even more cuts and bruises. Terezah banged on the window, trying to get her mother's attention, but her mother didn't respond. She screamed at her mother to get up and to be alright, but her mother still didn't move. A crippled body of the only person she loved lay just outside her window and there was nothing she could do. She watched for any signs of life, and was relieved when she saw her mother's chest fall up and down slowly. _

_The lock to her room door clicked open and her step-father charged into the room. Terezah hurriedly pulled away from the window, not wanting him to see her in distress. He grabbed her hand so hard she heard a snap, but Terezah bit her tongue to keep in her scream. She didn't want to aggravate him. He pulled her out of her room and dragged her down to the basement. Terezah curled up in a ball as his foot continued to dig into her back and stomach. Each kick got harder. He threw her around the room, and Terezah finally gave up. She wanted to die. She wanted to get away from the monster. _

_He pulled her up so that she faced him. "WHAT DID YOU SAY TO ME?!" He yelled so loudly into her ear, that she started hearing ringing. She whimpered. She hadn't said anything. "N-nothing…" She whispered. He growled angrily and shoved her to the floor. A feeling of dread entered her as he grabbed the "Bad Girl Stick". He swung it down onto her, beating her like a piñata. Each time he brought the stick down on her, she could feel a crack and the pain that followed was excruciating. He threw the stick to the side and grabbed her. He wrapped the "Bad Girl Rope" around her wrists, so hard it started to cut off her circulation. He dragged her into a cold cement closet, locking her inside. She heard him storm up the steps and throw stuff around upstairs, taking out his anger on the furniture. _

_Terezah curled into a ball, trying to stay warm. Her body was so filled with pain she couldn't even think. All she could see was complete darkness, not even able to see her hand a mere inch from her face. She cried silently, not wanting to cry too loudly and get another beating. She closed her eyes and saw her mother outside in the backyard, soaked in blood and covered in welts. Then, all she could see was the face of the monster who had done this to them. And she was terrified. _

* * *

Terezah's eyes shot open and she sat up, completely shaken. She was soaked in cold sweat, and breathing heavily as if she hadn't breathed in years. She looked up at the person who had woken her up. A man with jet-black hair and blue eyes stared down at her with a look of panic and worry. She still couldn't grasp where she was. She was still the little girl, huddling in the cement closet covered in blood and bruises. Her eyes darted around the strange place she was in. Morning light poured through the opening to the cave. Then, she saw her step-father. She screamed in terror, backing away from him as fast as she could.

She was hyperventilating, trying to get as much air into her lungs as she could. She was shaking violently, as if she was having a seizure. She tried to hide her face from him and curled into a defensive ball. She started sobbing violently, choking on air. The man with the jet-black hair was calling her name, but she barely heard him. She just didn't want to get hurt. She didn't want to aggravate her step-father.

"Terezah!" The man called. Terezah risked a peek and looked up at him threw her hands covering her face. She recognized him from somewhere.

"L-loki?" She asked in a shaky voice. She remembered where she was now. She sat up once more and wiped the tears from her eyes, trying to get her nerves under control. She couldn't stop sobbing though. She couldn't stop the tears, the panicked racing of her heart, and the burning sensation on her shoulder, or the pain that seemed to course through her vanes. Loki pulled her into a hug and held her, allowing her to wrap her arms around his neck and cry onto his shoulder.

* * *

Zaos woke up with a jolt. He looked at where the cry had come from and saw Terezah. She was shaking and crying. She was clutching her shoulder and her eyes were fluttering. She was having a dream or something, but he had a feeling it was about him. He didn't dare wake her up, for fear of her killing him. The Asgardian prince would probably be able to wake her up safely.

"Prince Loki!" he said, shaking the prince's shoulder.

"What?" He asked in a groggy voice.

"Something is wrong with Terezah." The prince sat up and looked at Terezah.

"I can't wake her up. She has to wake up on her own. If I tried to wake her up she would just get worse." Loki said.

Zaos sat against the wall, listening to the dark elf cry out. Loki was wide awake now, and studying him. "Are you really her step-father?" He asked.

Zaos blinked in confusion. He hadn't been expecting that. "Yes…" He replied.

Loki's expression turned into a glare. "Why would you do those things to a small child?"

Zaos couldn't think of any explanation. He had been young and stupid. A drinker that got to angry when he drank too much. For fear of hurting his family, he had never gotten drunk or even near drunk again. He had refused to even look at the bottle after the incident with Vira. "I don't know." Was all he could say. Loki quickly looked away from Zaos and walked over to Terezah. Obviously, the prince had deemed him too horrible to talk to now. Zaos felt guilt pound in his heart. He knew what he had done to Terezah and Vira, and it would never be forgotten. He just hoped he would be able to save his family and return home, not having to see Terezah again. The guilt was too much.

Terezah bolted awake. Her eyes scanned the room and it reminded Zaos of a terrified deer. Then, their eyes met. She screamed in terror and curled into a defensive ball. Just like she had when he had beaten her in his drunken rage. He couldn't take anymore. He walked to the cave entrance and went outside, trying to push away the sound of Terezah's crying. He wished now more than ever that he could go back in time and slap himself. What a monster he had been.

* * *

**Thanks for the support! I hope I didn't make her nightmare too boring... I was trying to make it as horrible as I could. Then again, I don't like thinking about that stuff so it was kinda hard for me to write them getting beat up. I could never imagine that happening to me and my mother. That would be absolutely terrible. Anyways... I hope you liked the chapter. **

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	30. Chapter 30

Delotha paced back and forth angrily. How could they have possibly escaped?! She let out a frustrated hiss and plopped down onto her bed. She had taken over the past Queen's chambers, and had changed the color scheme to black so that it didn't cause her even more irritation.

Reports from the surviving dungeon guards said that Terezah had woken up from her trance… But that was impossible! Delotha had broken her! Shattered her mind and will! How could she have woken? She threw her arm over her eyes, getting rid of any light that would disturb her thinking. She had only "broken" one other Shadow Warrior's mind before, and he had died only a month afterwards. The spell was supposed to render the Shadow Warrior useless, unable to think, move, speak, or communicate in any way. Locked up in their own mind. Terezah was supposed to be dead by now. Delotha silently cursed herself for not killing the assassin right after she had broken her.

Delotha knew Terezah and her little group would have no chance of taking over Alfheim on their own, so she had set up a magical barrier around all of Alfheim that made it impossible for the Bifrost to teleport anyone to or from the planet. Of course she probably should have done it sooner so that the Asgardians wouldn't have been able to get here and delay her plans. At this very moment she had Ice Wolves hunting them. The only person she wanted dead was Terezah. Terezah was the main threat. Delotha was glad Terezah didn't know her true lineage… or at least who her biological father was anyways. And guessing by how blind Terezah was to her real father's identity, Vira must not have told her. At least Vira had done one good thing for her by not telling her niece about her royal blood. If Terezah had found out about the royal blood flowing through her vanes, she surely would've tried to kill Delotha and taken the throne.

* * *

_Prince Nythron paced back and forth. His mother, the Queen, had just died. But Nythron knew she had been murdered. Because his little sister was meant to inherit the throne, he was worried about the future of Svartalfheim. His mother had managed to avoid war for a few centuries at least, but Nythron knew Delotha was too ambitious for her own good. She would start a war in the first week of her reign. He had to figure out a way to take the throne before she even got the chance to wear the crown. _

"_My dear husband… Do you have to pace so loudly?" He heard his wife ask in a teasing tone. _

"_I am sorry, my dearest. I did not mean to wake you. Go back to sleep." Nythron said caringly. _

_Vira sat up anyways and walked over to him. She placed a gentle hand on his arm to stop him from pacing and forced him to turn towards her. She cupped the side of his face tenderly, staring up into his blue eyes. "Nythron… What ails you?" She asked worriedly. _

_Nythron took her hand away from his face and kissed her knuckles, then held her hand close to his heart, trying not to get worked up. "You are worried about Princess Delotha taking the throne, aren't you?" She asked. _

"_You have once again read my mind, sweet." Nythron replied. They both sat on the bed and stared into the flames of the fireplace, watching the fire dance. Silence filled the room as Vira leaned her head on her husband's shoulder. Nythron sighed and looked down at his Queen. For that's what she was. A Queen. A Goddess. He stroked the side of her face, finding comfort in the woman he loved. His hand slid down to rest on her slightly swollen stomach. His brows creased as a frown tugged at the corners of his mouth. "What if our family isn't safe? Delotha killed my mother… why would she hesitate to kill you? And our child?"_

_Vira smiled reassuringly, her golden eyes starting to fill with tears. "My strong prince. I know you will be able to solve this. I am not very experienced in this sort of thing, so I can offer no advice. You will have to make the decisions on your own. But I will always be there for you. And so will our little princess." Vira said with a small smile, tears sliding down her face. _

_Nythron brushed the tears from her cheeks and stared deeply into her golden eyes. "If anything were to happen to you and our daughter… I don't think I would be able to live. I love you Vira." He whispered and placed a kiss to her forehead. "I'll do anything to protect you." They laid back down on the bed. Vira snuggled against her husband, falling asleep by his side. Nythron watched her peaceful face as she slept. He again placed a hand on her stomach where their child was. He couldn't afford to lose them. They were all he had. But he couldn't afford another war where countless soldiers would die. _

_For the first time as a grown man, he felt his eyes start to fill with tears. What could he do? Take the throne and risk his family or leave the throne and risk the kingdom? He closed his eyes tightly as a single tear fell down his face. He had lost his mother, his father, both brothers, and now he could possibly lose his wife and unborn child. He wished for peace. He wanted to go back in time to the summers when he played with his brothers in the palace gardens. When his mother would scold him in the fierce way she did when he picked on the maids. When he would play tag with Vira, he still a little boy and her a little girl. _

_Finally, hours later, his eyes became heavy with sleep and he slowly drifted off into the blackness. _

_Five months later…_

_War had erupted. The Kingdom had split in two, one side with Delotha and the other with Nythron. His soldiers fought her fiercely, and he knew he was going to win. Delotha may have had the palace guards and all the able men in the capital city, but Nythron had everyone else. And Delotha was far outnumbered. He kept his wife and unborn child protected at all times, worried the Vira would somehow get hurt, risking the life of the only future heir to the throne. _

_His sword clashed with the sword of his opponent, thrusting a dagger into his stomach when the other man became distracted with his sword. He continued to push his way through the guards, his men fighting like dragons alongside him. With each man that fell, whether or not they were on his side, he felt pain. He knew that was one more life taken in a desperate attempt at the throne. A quarrel between two people that caused hundreds of deaths. He fought his way passed Delotha's troops and continued on. Every day they gained more ground and soon, he hoped, they would take the palace. _

_The fighting stopped as Delotha's soldiers scattered. Nythron walked into the tent where his generals and captains awaited him, ready to plan their next move. It had been extremely hot that day, leaving an uncomfortably warm, humid night. He entered the blood red tent and walked to the table in the middle of the room. There was a fire that had been built inside, lighting the room, but also making him warmer as it was. The light danced along the walls of the tent, the smoke spiraling upward and into the night air through a hole in the roof of the tent. _

"_Your majesty, we have gained another quarter of the city. We now have control over half of the city, but it will take another few weeks to reach the palace." _

"_What are the casualties for today?"_

"_Two hundred and three men dead, just over four hundred wounded." The captain responded. _

_Nythron took a deep breath. He had lost a lot of men today. He nodded to the generals and captains, exiting the tent. He swung himself onto his ice wolf, Ohta, and clicked his tongue. Ohta raced off into the night, carrying him to the house where Vira was. It was deep into the territory they had taken over, so she was safe. _

_When he got there, he jumped off Ohta, stroking her grey fur. Ohta panted happily and laid down, resting. Nythron opened the door to the cottage and walked in. Something was wrong. The lights were out, the windows shut. It was really dark. "Vira?" He asked. _

_No response. _

"_Vira?!" He called urgently. _

_No response still. _

_He raced through the cottage, but found nothing. No signs of Vira. He started to panic. Where was she? Maybe she was just picking berries or something. She had gone out a couple times, but never this late. He lit a candle and his racing heart froze. Rage overtook him and he turned over the table he had been leaning on. There was a dagger thrust into the wall, holding up a piece of paper that said, "I have her. Surrender by two days' time or she dies along with your child. Signed- Queen Delotha." _

_He yanked the paper from the dagger's hold and stuffed it into his boot. His sister had taken the only people he had left. He stormed out of the house, startling Ohta. He whistled and Ohta bolted to him. He swung himself onto her back, holding the scruff of her neck for support. He clicked his tongue and the wolf ran. He urged Ohta to go as fast as she could. _

_By the time he got to the camp, it was well past midnight. He strode into the blood red tent where only a few of his captains and generals remained. He took out the paper and slammed it down onto the table, covering part of the map that laid there. He paced back and forth angrily as his generals and captains took in the threat. This not only hurt Nythron, it hurt everyone. Vira was the pride and joy of the kingdom. Everyone loved her. For her life to suddenly be threatened, it dashed at everyone's hope of winning the war. _

_Most of the soldiers he had, only joined him because of their faith in Vira. He couldn't let her die. "What should we do, Sir?" One of his captains asked. _

_Nythron whipped around to face his officers. He saw the worry and anger on everyone's faces. "I don't know! If Vira and our child dies, the true heir to the throne will be killed. If my child dies, there will be no hope for the kingdom… I have to save them."_

"_You aren't suggesting we surrender… sir?" A general asked. _

"_Yes." Nythron answered with a cold stare. "My sister knows I would do anything to protect them, and she is rather smart for her age. She has outdone me in every way now. I have no choice but to surrender."_

_Two days later…_

"_Delotha! I have come to surrender. But first, you must show me Vira. I need to know that she still lives." Nythron said angrily. _

"_Brother. I am glad you have come to your senses." The twelve year old queen said. "Cerryo will bring her in a moment."_

"_No! Now! Or I will not surrender." Nythron said with a deathly glare. _

"_Oh very well… Bring her!"_

_The Shadow Warrior walked through the doors with Vira in front of him. He had a dagger pressed roughly against her throat, threatening to take her life at any moment. Nythron felt relief at seeing his wife alive. Her stomach was incredibly swollen by now, and he hoped their child was going to be alright. "Now you see her. Surrender, and I will release her." Delotha said with a cold smile. _

"_You must swear on the Sacred Rune you will not harm or kill her in any way for the rest of her life. Nor will you send others to kill or harm her. She will be allowed to live peacefully here on Svartalfheim without being disturbed by you." Nythron said. _

_Delotha contemplated his words. To swear on the Scared Rune was dangerous. If you broke your promise, you were immediately killed and sent to serve the Goddess Hel herself. "I accept." Delotha said reluctantly. "I swear on the Sacred Rune to not harm or kill the Lady Vira, wife to my eldest brother. Nor will I allow her to be harmed or send others to harm or kill her." Delotha swore. _

_Nythron felt immediately at peace. Even if he did lose his life this day or the next, Vira would be safe from the Queen. "I swear on the Sacred Rune to surrender myself and my generals into your hands. The war is over." _

"_Order your army to stand down and bring me all of your generals. Return here in one hour with them. Take your precious whore with you." Delotha spat. The Shadow Warrior stepped away from Vira and Vira ran into Nythron's embrace. They walked out of the palace and Nythron helped Vira mount the ice wolf waiting for them. _

"_Why?!" Vira cried. "You can't surrender!" She yelled out of panic. _

"_I had to protect you. I love you with all my heart, and if you died, then our child would die. She is the only heir to the throne. I had to." He said. He clicked his tongue and Ohta started forward, carefully running so Vira wasn't handled too roughly. He arrived at camp and the told the generals of what had happened._

_For the last time, Nythron looked into his wife's golden eyes. Tears continually streamed down her face and she started sobbing. "Don't go." She whispered. Nythron held her close to him, feeling tears fall down his face as well. He held Vira as close as he could to him. He didn't want her to get hurt. He breathed in her scent for the last time, savoring it. _

"_Promise me you will raise our princess with care and love. Teach her to be the best she can. I love you both." He said. They stared into each other's eyes. Nythron brought his lips to meet hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling herself closer. She knew she would never see him again. Nythron pulled away and looked her in the eyes again. "I love you." He said again. "Never be afraid…"_

"_I love you." Vira said in a wavering voice. _

_Nythron turned to one of his captains. "Keep her safe. Watch out for her." The captain nodded and stood close to Vira. Nythron gave Vira one last embrace before he turned to go mount Ohta. He looked back at his people. The men that he had fought beside through everything. Suddenly, his most trusted general got down on one knee, bowing his head. The rest of his men followed the general's example, and soon everyone was bowing before him, showing respect to their King. _

_Nythron felt his heart swell with pride as he placed a hand on his general's shoulder. "Thank you friend." He said. His generals mounted their wolves and Nythron mounted Ohta, urging her forward. As the people watched their King ride towards the palace for the last time, they knew they were losing a true hero. _

_When Nythron was almost out of sight, he turned to gaze upon his wife one last time. He would never taste her lips again. Never hold her, comfort her, embrace her, or even glimpse her beauty again. What choked his heart the most was the fact that he would never see their child. Never hear her first cry, first laugh, never witness her first steps, or her first ball. But at least they would be safe. At least they would live. He disappeared over the horizon, peace filling his heart for a brief moment. His family was safe. _

* * *

**I finished writing this chapter, but then erased it all and rewrote it twice over. I finally settled for this. Don't worry, the next chapter will be about the Alfheim situation. I just had to put this in. PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK! Maybe I haven't been writing good or something, because only one person has commented on the last two chapters. Maybe I have failed at writing the past two chapters... I hope not though. I rewrote chapter 1 because only 1/10 people was continuing on with the story. If you want to reread chapter one you can, but it is mostly the same. I just shortened it and rewrote the first ten paragraphs. Many thanks for reading my story!x**

**REVIEW! **

**:)**


	31. Chapter 31

The group ran through the woods as quickly as they could. Barking and howling sounded behind them. The ice wolves were gaining fast, and the group was almost to the walls of the nearest city where they would be safe. Terezah knew they would never reach the city of Annun'tal in time if she didn't do something. She stopped running and whipped around to face the wolves. She noticed Loki stop and turn as well, instructing Sif to get Sadi and Zaos to safety.

"You should go as well." Terezah said urgently.

"You can't fight them off on your own. Last time I had to save you."

"I could've handled it." Terezah argued.

"Yeah…right."

Their argument was cut short by three wolves that jumped out of the brush, the first of the pack. Terezah knew more would soon follow. The noon light shone through the trees, a breeze rustling the branches, shaking the shade spots on the ground. The breeze tussled stray strands of silver hair that had fallen out of her pony tail. Terezah pulled out her scimitar, raising it, preparing to strike. Loki pulled out his dagger, getting into a defense position. _At least he has the correct stance this time. _Terezah thought to herself. Five more wolves soon jumped out of the bushes, followed by the last two. A bead of sweat rolled down her face as she faced the ten enormous wolves. Unlike the other night, the wolves would not so easily be fooled with an illusion.

The wolves seemed to only be interested in her, and none went after the group ahead. This only offered a little relief. The wolves growled, their ears lowered, tails between their legs, fangs showing. They ranged in colors from white to grey to midnight black. The largest one, a huge grey wolf with green eyes, most likely the leader, started forward. Terezah quickly flipped onto its back, holding the scruff of its neck. The wolf cried out in anger as she slid her curved sword into the thick skin on its back. It tried desperately to bite her, but she was just out of reach. It finally resulted to rolling over, Terezah jumping off just in time to not get crushed.

Other wolves soon charged her, clearly out of patience. Terezah quickly glanced at Loki who was occupying the attentions of two wolves, but the majority were after her. She had no idea how she was going to get out of this one. She felt for one of her daggers that should have been on her left, upper arm, but it wasn't there. All her weapons had been confiscated at the dungeon. She growled in frustration. The daggers she kept in sheaths had a poison on them that would be extremely affective with the wolves. She conjured a dagger, deciding it would have to do. Small, black dagger in one hand, black scimitar in the other, she fought off the wolves the best she could.

She was quickly becoming overwhelmed. She hadn't eaten anything in the past week, so she was beginning to tire quickly. She cursed herself for refusing the food they had offered her, saying that they had need it more than she. She pulled one of her left over sleeping darts from the competitions with Thor and stuck it into the neck of a large grey wolf. He howled angrily and groggily dropped to the ground a few seconds later. She used up the remaining four darts in this manner, leaving three wolves for her and one for Loki. One of the wolves successfully slashed at her hand and she dropped the sword, left with only her small dagger now.

A wolf pounced on her, pinning her down. Its rancid breath rained down on her and she almost choked. Khelek never had such bad breath. She gasped sharply when the wolf dug its claws into her chest. Loki charged the wolf, pushing it off of her. The two wolves pounced on her, but her had time to roll away from them. Loki was using his dagger to effectively cut several small openings, making the wolf bleed. Eventually, the wolf would run out of blood and collapse. Terezah decided to try this tactic, since she only had her dagger, with no time to grab her scimitar.

Terezah cried out in pain as she felt claws rake across her back. All she needed was more scars there. If she healed them quick enough, she wouldn't have scars. That's why she didn't have permanent reminders of every fight she had ever endured all over her body. She only got them if she couldn't use her magic.

She sunk her dagger into the eye of her opponent, who yelped out in pain and recoiled, leaving the other wolf to deal with her for a while. Terezah was now facing the leader who had been the first one to attack her. The cut on its back had covered his torso in blood, and he now wanted vengeance. Terezah felt her vision start to blur. The lack of energy and blood was starting to affect her. She shook her head slightly, but that only made her dizzier. She frantically tried to dodge the wolf, but she was too slow. She slammed into her, pinning her to the ground. It was about to kill her, when suddenly, it dropped off of her.

She was momentarily surprised when an ash grey hand was extended towards her to help her stand up. She met the pale blue eyes of a large dark elf man. He was looking at her with no emotion in his eyes. His lips were pulled tightly together in concern, and he didn't look to be much of a talkative person. His white hair was speckled with grey, brushed to the side. He looked familiar. She finally took his hand after studying him, and he helped her to her feet. Loki was standing to the side, confused as to what was going on. "Who are you?" Terezah asked, still trying to place him. She bent down and picked up her scimitar, shape-shifting it into a dagger and sheathing it.

"My name is Dagoro. I was a friend of your parent's." He said in a soft, yet firm tone.

"You knew my parents?" Terezah asked, her golden eyes narrowing into slits.

"Yes. I served your father as a captain. I lost track of you when you became Shadow Warrior, so technically I should be addressing you more formally, but we don't have time right now." He said, a concerned frown forming on his mouth. "You are injured. We need to get to Annun'tal before more ice wolves arrive." He said.

Terezah's eyes widened in realization. "You are the man who saved me at the bar all those centuries ago. You fought off a drunken man and then disappeared." Terezah said.

Dagoro rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I guess I did. We really need to go now, though. We can talk about who I am later. We need to get within the city walls."

"Could we please speak a language I can understand?" Loki interrupted.

It was only then Terezah realized she had been talking in Druhir. "Sorry. We need to go." Terezah said quickly to Loki before she started running. Slight dizziness spun her head a little, making it hard to run and watch for obstacles at the same time. She felt someone grab her, steadying her, and she glanced to see Loki running alongside her. She turned her attention back towards the white stone wall looming overhead.

They rushed into the open gates where lights elves pulled them inside and shut the metal gates tightly. Arrogant light elves glared at her and Dagoro. Dark elves and light elves didn't have a very good history together, and it was a miracle Alfheim hadn't been completely been taken over by now. It always struck Terezah as stupid that they wouldn't learn how to fight. An advanced light elf warrior had about the skill level of a ten year old on Svartalfheim. Male dark elves were sent to military school at the age of six. There, they learned how to fight until they were seventeen, when they graduated and could choose to serve the crown or start a life of their own. Most chose to serve the crown, not wanting to waste their talent.

Terezah and Dagoro were surrounded by light elven guards who were pointing spears at them. Loki, Sif, Sadi, and Zaos were conversing lightly with a soldier. Terezah rolled her eyes and sighed. She could kill all of the guards in the blink of an eye with the way they were positioned, poking her with pointy sticks. A captain stepped through the guards and addressed Dagoro, reminding her that males were considered superior to females on Alfheim. The man was tall and lean like all the light elves. He had fair skin and ears that curved into a majestic little point. He had long, completely straight, sandy blond hair that fell to his shoulders, and purple eyes that shone with anger. He had a white scar that went from the bridge of his nose, across his left cheek and stretched all the way to his jaw. His acknowledgement towards Dagoro annoyed Terezah. She was technically a higher rank than any soldier on Svartalfheim, so she cleared her throat in annoyance, making the captain turn his head towards her.

"It is not a woman's place to interrupt a captain." The captain said with a scowl.

"I'm sorry, _captain,_" She spat. "But I am of higher rank than him, so you will address me with your concern." Terezah said coldly, glaring daggers at him.

"They would allow a woman to become a warrior? I doubt you could hardly lift a sword." He said and earned a few chuckles from the guards around him.

"Oh… not just a simple warrior. I am the Queen's Hand of Death herself. The Shadow Warrior. And if you may know, yes… I do know how to lift a sword. Would you like me to show you?" She asked, unsheathing her shape-shifting staff and turning it back into a scimitar. The elven guards around her tensed and she felt the tip of a spear poke into her back.

"Lower your weapon, assassin." The captain said in a deathly tone.

Terezah smirked. "You challenged me though. I have a right to kill you where you stand." Her fingers twitched, aching to drive the scimitar into his skull.

"We do not need any more trouble. _Especially _from you! You have been the cause of many deaths here on Alfheim, including the Duke of Duin'reena." The captain accused.

"He was especially fun to kill. He was so fat he could barely get away before I slit his throat." Terezah said with an evil grin.

"I would have you killed where you stand if you hadn't helped Princess Sadi escape and betrayed your Queen!" The captain said, his face turning a little red. Loki pushed through the guards and stood between the light and dark elf, breaking up the fight. Terezah rolled her eyes, knowing he wasn't going to let her kill the captain.

"I am sorry. She is very stubborn and reckless. It would be best if you talked to me to avoid further argument in such a dire time. We can waste no time with fighting each other. We are all allies here." Loki said smoothly. This seemed to appease the captain.

"I am Captain Ondo Tarnruth."

"I am Prince Loki, of Asgard. I have been sent here by Odin Allfather to help Alfheim in its time of need." Loki introduced himself. "And this is Terezah."

"What is her surname?" Ondo asked.

Terezah's glare burned even fiercer. "Why is that information needed?" She asked angrily.

"It is a custom to give your surname as well. Provide us with the information or you will be turned away." Ondo glared back at her.

Terezah's eyes flitted to Loki, who nodded his head at her, urging her to reveal it. Terezah hadn't said her surname in centuries, not wanting to mark her mother's last name. She remembered the necklace her mother always wore. The one with the initials "V.A." She looked back at Ondo and took a deep breath, breathing out in a huff of irritation. "Aendryr." She replied quietly, letting the astonished silence follow. Her mother had always told her to be careful with giving out her surname for some reason. It had something to do with her real father.

"As in… King Nythron Aendryr?" Ondo asked.

Terezah blinked in confusion. "What?" She asked. "I don't… think so." She replied slowly.

Dagoro interrupted all of the sudden. "Yes. But that is not important right now." All eyes shifted to Dagoro, who didn't seem to care that everyone was watching him now.

Then, Her Highness joined the conversation. "Captain Ondo, we need to discuss what we should do about our current situation. Never mind the rat… dark elf. She is of little importance as of now, and most of my company are in need of medical attention." She stuttered over the word rat, quickly correcting herself. Only Terezah caught it.

* * *

Loki knocked on Terezah's door. They had been given rooms in the Duke's house, and had just barely arrived. Loki hadn't stayed in his room very long before finding Terezah's. He was worried about what had happened earlier. He had heard many stories of the rebellion on Svartalfheim lead by the eldest Prince. His father, Odin, had told him the story. Odin had hoped the Prince would have won the war because he could have brought peace to Svartalfheim. After Svartalfheim's loyalties split into two, Prince Nythron had been made king over his half and the current Queen ruled the other half. There had been a long battle between the two halves and many had died, but the Queen eventually one after King Nythron had surrendered for unknown reasons.

This story played in his mind as he heard Terezah ask who it was. After Loki told her it was only him, she told him he could enter. He closed the door behind him, walking towards where Terezah sat on the bed, her head resting in her hands. There was a tray of food that she hadn't even touched, but Loki knew she needed to eat. She looked absolutely exhausted. Terezah's golden eyes flicked to his own and he held her tired gaze. "Are you alright?" Loki asked. She still hadn't changed out of her blood soaked clothes.

"Just fine."

"Are you going to change out of those clothes?" Loki asked. Her black stealth armor had been shredded and stained by wolves. Her arms and neck were covered in blood and dirt, and her face was covered in dirt only with a few specks of dried blood as well. She sighed and stood up.

"No… I'll change once we get out of this ordeal. Plus, all these blasted light elves have is white armor, and I hate white." She said walking over to a bowl of water. She stood in front of a mirror and dipped a rag into the water. She scrubbed the dirt and blood off her face and arms, and Loki could now make out her ash grey skin at the least. She tossed the rag aside and just stood in front of the mirror, studying her many cuts. She inhaled sharply and winced as she touched her back. There were four slash marks that ran horizontally down her, still oozing blood.

"_Quel Coia" _Terezah muttered. A black rune flashed in front of her and Loki watched as most of her wounds disappeared completely. Suddenly, she fell to the floor.

Loki rushed forward. "Terezah?" He asked urgently.

Her golden eyes fluttered open weakly. "That spell drains my energy significantly. Sorry…" She muttered. Loki helped her stand up. Now that he could see her face more clearly, he noticed how dark the circles under her eyes really were. Her hair was disheveled and falling out of her hair holder. Her clothes were practically ripped to shreds where there used to be wounds, and she was still covered in blood. She limped back over to the bed and Loki watched her worriedly. She sat down on the bed with a tired sigh.

"You need to eat and get some rest. Why don't you at least accept their food?"

"I don't need light elves to save my skin." Terezah replied with a weak sneer.

"Could you put aside the age old rivalry for just this once and eat? You're going to faint in the middle of a battle and die."

Terezah sighed in frustration. "Fine…" She huffed. She grabbed an apple from the food tray and sank her teeth into it. She made a face of distaste and held back from choking on it. "This is nasty!" She exclaimed.

"Just. Eat. It." Loki commanded.

"Ugh… fine…" She said.

Loki smirked as she bit into it again, her face was priceless. It looked like she had just tasted something overly sour. After she was done with the apple, she chucked the core at the wall, not bothering to aim for the garbage can. "There… That wasn't so bad, was it?" Loki asked with a grin.

"It was horrid. Stupid light elves can't even grow apples right." She commented. "Anyways… Besides coming to babysit me, what did you need?"

"Why do you never use your surname?" Loki asked.

"That's a lame excuse to come into my room." Terezah said, raising an eyebrow.

"Seriously." Loki pressed.

"My mother told me not to. I don't know exactly why. It had something to do with my father. My real father. Is that all?" Terezah asked.

"I guess so. Try to get some rest and please use the bed. It's not like the light elves are going to set it on fire the moment you get under the covers." Loki said with a small smirk.

"I will! You're not my nanny!" She said, standing up. She lazily pushed him out the door and shut it in his face. Loki just grinned as he walked back towards his room. At least Terezah's sarcasm was back. He went into his own room and shut the door. He went to lay down on his bed when he noticed a figure had already beat him to it.

"Who are you? Show yourself." Loki said, slightly on edge.

Princess Sadi pushed herself off the bed with a huge smile on her face. An eerie smile. "Is there something you need, Princess?" Loki asked.

She slowly walked towards him, taking her time to walk across the room. She walked to the other side of him, blocking his exit. She locked the door and Loki stared at her with an irritated confusion. "I've always wanted you to call me a Princess. Now that I am one, it just doesn't have the same ring to it, Lokitty." She said.

Loki reached for the small black dagger that he had in his boot, pulling it out. "Ah ah ah… We'll have time for that later. I just want to see how you've been. That's what lovers do. They check on each other once in a while." A shiver ran down Loki's back as she slowly inched her way towards him. The small raven haired elf with green eyes continued towards him, a hungry look in her eyes. Her image started to change, she got a little bit taller and fuller. Her black hair turned honey blond and her green eyes turned sapphire blue.

"Freya." Loki stated.

* * *

**So... yeah... There ya go. Chapter 31. I hoped you liked it. I just realized this story is going to stretch on for a while... I hope you peoples aren't getting bored. I might have to end it abruptly if you are. **

**I was on Pinterest and Youtube and in Thor the Dark World, Loki has this small black dagger that he's always using. He even asks Thor if he could have HIS dagger. Not A dagger... HIS dagger :D I thought that was a pretty awesome coincidence. Anyways, I thought that was pretty awesome. Of course it isn't exactly what I pictured the dagger Terezah gave him looking like, but it is still a small black dagger. Pretty cool, huh? Thanks for the AWESOME comments! I really appreciate you readers. I love getting comments... Even if you have commented on past chapters, go ahead and tell me what you think about this one. I never get sick of hearing from you peoples. Thanks for reading this far! Lots of Loves :D **


	32. Chapter 32

After Loki left, Terezah plopped down onto the bed, too exhausted to sleep. She tried to close her eyes, but she had to know who King Nythron Aendryr was and why the light elves had mentioned him. Also, Dagoro's quick answer was making her head spin, and she began to fear the worst.

Her mother had never talked about her father, only telling her that he had died before she was born. When she had asked her mother who her father was, a look of sadness had grown in her mother's eyes. That was all she could remember. The only information on her father was that he was dead. Dead like all her family. It seemed fate loved playing that card in her life.

She rolled onto her side, trying to find any comfortable position to sleep in, but years of war and killing had taught her to sleep lightly. This also meant sleep did not come easily to her unless she was calm. Habits made from centuries of being an assassin. Light on her feet, heavy in her mind. Finally giving up trying to get even a little sleep, she sat up with a sigh and headed towards the door to find Dagoro. Usually she didn't trust people immediately, but Dagoro radiated loyalty as if he was a follower by heart. Terezah knew she could trust him. He had already saved her once in the past.

She opened her door and walked along the edge of the wall, taking in the intricate golden designs etched into it. The designs told stories. Stories of peace, love, happiness, and sacrifice. Light elves were weak, but she would give them credit for their culture. Light elves centered on creativity and love, whereas the dark elves centered themselves with war and power. Such was the difference in their cultures, that stories of how light and dark elves came to be had been engraved into the story books of the nine realms. Besides Midgard… the mortals were pretty stupid.

Then, she bumped into Her Highness who was wearing a smug grin as if she had just accomplished something. A glint in her eye caught Terezah off guard. Terezah knew that Her Highness was a rebellious princess that was quick to lash out, but lately she had been acting strange. Not like she had when Terezah had first met her. Something was off, as if Her Highness had become a different person over the last few weeks. Then again, war does that to people.

"Your Highness, why the grin?" Terezah asked, suspicious of her strange behavior.

"We are certain to win against the dark elves. I am certain we will drive them from Alfheim soon enough." Her Highness replied.

This made little sense to Terezah, but then again, Her Highness wasn't as bright in war tactics as Terezah. Terezah knew they were heavily outmatched, with little to no hope of winning. But if Her Highness had found something worth hoping for, that was fine with Terezah. As long as she didn't become too reckless with her pride. "Don't let it go too far into your head. We are still heavily outmatched." Terezah said and kept walking. In the back of her head, a voice was screaming that something was wrong, but Terezah ignored it.

She found Dagoro's door and knocked, waiting to be granted entrance. When nobody answered, she assumed he was probably speaking with Captain Tarnruth. She wandered around the Duke's mansion. The Duke Tiuko was in charge of Annun'tal, so he had a massive mansion as a home in the middle of the city. It was as busy as a palace, with servants and maids walking around, getting chores done. Guards patrolled the corridors, eyeing her with disgust and then moving on. She knew there were guards trailing her, meant to stealthily keep track of her, but light elves were sloppy in the arts of war. She had no idea where Captain Tarnruth was or would be, so she stopped one of the servants to ask them for direction.

The servant pointed her in the direction of the hall to the right and four doors down, so she set off to find Dagoro. She walked down the hall to the right and found the door she was looking for. Two guards stood on either side of the door and when she stepped towards it, they blocked her from entering. She groaned in frustration and yelled at them to let her in. They still refused to budge, clearly finding joy in annoying her.

"Let me in." Terezah said coldly. She could easily shove a dagger through both their skulls faster than they could blink, but that would only cause her more trouble than she needed.

"This room is for warriors only. Sorry Tiny, but we don't accept small girls either." The first guard said with a smug grin.

_He did not just call me Tiny. _

Her hands shot to the scimitar and dagger resting on her hips, easily unsheathing them. The guards raised their weapons in alarm, but if she was really intent on killing them, they would have been dead before they knew it. "Listen_, light elves_!" She spat. "I'm no school girl! You may be a weak species, but I could easily wrap your intestines around a dagger and shove it down your throat, leaving you in a gutter to die! And nobody would know it was me!" She shouted angrily.

The guard had taken a step away from her, clearly frightened, but his arrogant demeanor soon returned. "Those are strong fighting words for a little girl."

"That's some pretty big armor for a little boy." Terezah shot back.

The guard glared at her, ready to fire away, but was stopped by a rough hand on his shoulder. "Please refrain from harassing one of your biggest allies. I wouldn't want her to leave just because a petty guard insulted her. Then you'd be the one to blame when Queen Delotha takes over city after city. All because you drove away one of the only people that could help." Dagoro said coldly.

The guard turned red in embarrassment and quickly quieted. Terezah smirked triumphantly and she then turned to Dagoro. "Can I talk to you for a moment?" Terezah asked. Dagoro nodded and they started walking down the hall. Terezah made sure they were out of the guard's earshot. "Who is King Nythron Aendryr?" Terezah asked after a few minutes of silence.

Dagoro's eye shone with sadness and a little confusion at the question. "Vira never told you?" He asked.

"No…"

"King Nythron Aendryr was Queen Delotha's eldest brother. He knew she would only cause problems for Svartalfheim so he challenged her rule within the first week of her coronation. The kingdom's loyalties split in two, but Nythron had the upper hand. Delotha resorted to abducting his wife and threatening to kill her if he didn't surrender. Nythron was very loyal to anyone he loved, so he gave up his life to save her and return the kingdom to peace." Dagoro said, staring off into the distance as if remembering a memory from long ago.

"What did you mean he was my father?" Terezah asked, remembering what he had said when the light elves had mentioned King Nythron.

"Your mother, Vira, was the wife of King Nythron. You are of royal blood. I am surprised Vira never told you about who your father was."

Terezah let it all sink in. None of it made any sense. "What…? How did you know my… father… then?" She asked.

"Before your father left forever, he told me to watch over Vira. I fear I failed at my task when I was forced into hiding. Queen Delotha hunted all of the leaders of King Nythron's army, and since I was a captain, I was hunted as well. Before I went into hiding, I told Vira she should marry for money, so that she would be supported. She absolutely refused, but I eventually persuaded her. I had no idea she would choose a murderer…. I failed my last command and allowed Vira to come to harm." Dagoro said darkly. "After Vira was killed, I watched over you from hiding. I couldn't expose myself, so I had to watch you suffer. I risked getting killed when that man in the bar tried to hurt you, but I had to disappear. After you became Shadow Warrior, I could no more track you like I used to. I am sorry for letting you down. For failing."

Terezah listened to his story carefully. She didn't think he had a need to apologize. He had done the best he possibly could have. He had saved her once before as well. He had watched over her. "You have no need to apologize."

"You are of royal blood Terezah. You could set a claim on the throne since you are the rightful heir. Because of your father's legacy, I believe many of the Queen's forces would join you. You are a natural leader."

Terezah let this sink in. "Does this mean I'm some sort of princess?" Terezah asked skeptically.

"Yes."

"Ugh…Great! Now I'm a princess!" She said in disbelief.

"You are essential if we are to take back Alfheim." Dagoro said.

"Why do you want to help take back Alfheim?" Terezah asked.

"Your father believed in peace no matter what. He had a vision for the future of Alfheim and Svartalfheim. He knew he could bring them back to peace. I wish to see his vision come true." Dagoro responded silently.

"I gotta go." She said quickly. She wanted to tell Loki everything she had just been told. She felt like a giddy school girl. Even though she had never been raised as royalty, her lineage gave her an advantage over the Queen. She knocked on Loki's door, but she didn't hear a response. She opened the door after another minute and she froze, her heart stopping.

**You peoples are probably thinking "Get on with it already!" Don't worry. This next chapter will cover A LOT of ground. Thanks for being patient. I published another story called "Sorrow's Pain". It only has three chapters as of now (Probably four by the time you peoples read this) But you should totally check it out and tell me what you think. It is about a slave girl who ends up becoming Loki's slave. He is determined to break her just like he had been broken. Post-Thor. ****I would appreciate the support. I don't really know what to think of the story myself, so that's where you (the reader) comes in. I rely on you for opinions and suggestions. I hope you like Sorrow's Pain. Please read it! :) Lots of Loves! **


	33. Chapter 33

Terezah ran to Loki's side. She crouched down next to him and placed a hand on his neck, finding his pulse. Blood was all over the floor and Loki was pale. He didn't move. Terezah kept calm. She waited and finally there was a small beat. He was still alive. He had blood gushing out of his chest, so she ripped off part of his shirt (as hers wouldn't rip very easily) and applied pressure to the wound. She managed to get the bleeding under control. She muttered the healing spell, using as much energy as she could. Loki drew in a sharp breath, the first sign that he was actually alive. But his eyes did not open.

Terezah called in a maid, and soon the room was crowded with healers and servants alike. Terezah was eventually kicked outside where she wandered back to her room. She sat on her bed, trying to contain her rage. But she couldn't. Loki was the last person she had. An uncontrollable anger boiled out of her. She dropped to her knees, clutching the sides of her head. She focused on taking deep breaths. In. Out. In. Out.

Terezah finally opened her eyes and looked around. She could feel tears threaten to fall, but she forced them to stay. She stood up shakily, her hands clenched into fists. Whoever had done this would pay. Unfortunate for her, she had no idea who had done this. Still seething with fury, she whipped open the door and stormed down the hall. She walked into Loki's room which was now empty. A puddle of drying blood was on the floor. She knelt next to the puddle. She hated using this trick, but it was one she knew.

She pulled out a knife and slit her own finger open, just enough to coax a drop of blood out. She held her finger over the puddle of blood and let the drop of blood fall into Loki's. She concentrated, forming the words for the ancient spell. A blast of energy expelled from her, weakening her significantly. She felt faint, almost about to pass out. She opened her eyes and looked down at the blood. It was black now, with inky black footprints leading out the door. Terezah stood up, swaying slightly, and unsheathing her daggers, she bolted out the door. She followed the inky black footprints, sprinting as fast as she could.

They lead to Her Highness' door. Sorrow used her magic to make the lock click open, and then kicked the door by the lock. The door swung open, revealing a dark room. Princess Sadi was sitting by the window, the moon glowing brightly. She looked back at Terezah slightly startled. "What do you want?" She asked in a snobby voice.

Terezah ignored the question. She held a dagger in one hand, her scimitar in the other. She slowly advanced towards the woman sitting by the window. "I asked you a question, rat!"

Terezah's stone face lifted into a cruel smirk. "So, the Lady Freya. Come for a visit, have we? Well… I'll be sure to tell Loki once he awakens." Terezah lunged forward, and was surprised when her blades caught the metal of another dagger.

Princess Sadi's illusion dropped, revealing the Goddess herself. "I guess you are smarter than you look. Such a pity I have to kill you!" She shouted manically.

Terezah knew Freya was trying her best to outmaneuver her, but Terezah had been at this for a lot longer. Terezah kicked Freya's dagger out of her hand. Freya lunged for her dagger. Mistake number one. Terezah brought her foot down hard on Freya's wrist as she grabbed the dagger, a loud cracking sound echoing through the room. Freya cried out in pain, dropping the dagger. Terezah swung her leg under Freya, tripping her. Freya crawled to the window. Terezah towered over her. Freya looked down. "You are no match for me!" She screamed." I am the new Shadow Warrior!"

"You think that just by having a title that makes your abilities increase? You are wrong." Terezah said angrily.

"You took Lokitty from me! If I can't have him, no one can! Especially you, rat! You will die by my hand! I swear it!" Freya screamed.

"Then I'll see you in Hel." Terezah said, her golden eyes burning. She raised the scimitar. And Freya jumped. Terezah stared at the body falling. "She's not going to make it." Terezah muttered to herself. Just as Freya was about to hit the ground, she vanished in a flash of grey light. Terezah threw her dagger to the floor angrily. Now Loki was going to die, Freya was going to live, and Alfheim was going to burn. All because of Terezah.

* * *

**So... Really short chapter. Sorry for the wait. I have been busy with my other fanfic, Sorrow's Pain. I promise the next chapter will be better. I know I promised that last chapter... but... hehe... Everyone LOVES my other fanfic, so I have been unfairly devoting my time to that one instead of this one. Terezah would be angry at me if she were real. Anyways, comment! Check out my other fanfic! Favorite/Follow! Thank you! :)**


	34. Chapter 34

Loki slowly opened his eyes. It was bright in the room, obviously morning. His chest ached. He tried to sit up but a sharp pain in his chest made him collapse back onto the bed. He looked around the room, not recognizing where he was. How had he gotten here? Was he even on Asgard? His eyes scanned the room for anything familiar. He spotted Terezah sitting by his bed side, asleep on a chair. He remembered everything, then. Loki smirked. The assassin had finally gone to sleep. Even in her sleep, she looked absolutely exhausted. Concerning dark circles were under her eyes. Her arms were folded over her chest and she was stretched out across the chair, her legs crossed. Her armor was ripped, torn, and bloodstained. Loki suddenly wondered if she was used to this. Constantly on the run.

Loki repositioned himself on the bed, the bed creaked quietly, but that was enough. Terezah's golden eyes shot open and immediately she had a sword in hand. "Calm down." Loki said in a raspy voice. He then realized how dry his throat was.

Terezah looked at him. She handed him a glass of water which he sipped at until his throat didn't feel quite as dry. "How do you feel?" She asked carefully.

Loki grinned. "Could feel better." Then, he remembered Freya. "Freya!" He said in a panic.

Terezah nodded and looked away. "Yes… your so-called lover. She got away."

"You found her out? How?" Loki asked incredulously.

"Tracking spell." Terezah sat back in the chair and started sharpening a dagger. It was quiet for a long time. Loki noticed how serious she had become. Her joking, arrogant manner had subsided. Her brows were furrowed, her expression strained. She looked worn out, too experienced for her age. Her hands sharpened the surface of the dagger in her hand as habit. Loki now noticed she did this when tense, as sort of a stress reliever. As if on cue, Sif came through the door looking rather grim. She held a piece of paper in her hand. She stopped at the foot of Loki's bed, holding the paper in front of him.

"What's that?" Loki asked.

"A threat." Sif said angrily. "The Queen has threatened to kill both Alfheim's royal family and Thor and the Warrior's Three if we don't surrender. She's giving us three days to decide their fate."

Terezah scoffed. "She'll kill them anyways. Maybe she'd use Thor as a bargaining chip to keep Asgard off her back, but as soon as we put down our weapons she'll slaughter us all."

Sif and Loki looked at her. "So… what do we do?" Sif asked Terezah more than Loki.

Terezah's golden eyes were fixed on the dagger and sharpening stone in her hand. She was thinking. What could they do? They were outnumbered. Outmatched. They were trapped on Alfheim, with no allies that could reach them. It was hopeless. The Queen had played her cards well. Terezah thought over everything she had done for the Queen before she had joined Loki. The Queen had probably shifted things around so that Terezah would no longer have a strategic advantage. An idea came to mind. "We surrender." She said.

"WHAT?!" Loki and Sif said at the same time.

"We fool them with the oldest trick in the book." Terezah grinned. "While Loki and I are out there with the white flag, Sif will sneak behind enemy lines and free Thor and the Warriors Three, and maybe the Royal Family. Though I'm not sure how they'll be able to help us. Focus on recovering Asgard's warriors. They will be most useful."

"I don't know where Thor is being kept." Sif said. "And besides… what if I am captured or you two? We can't afford to lose anyone."

Terezah stood up, sheathing her dagger and slipping the sharpening stone into a pouch on her belt. "This is war. People are going to die whether we like it or not. There are always casualties in war. We don't have time to worry about who will die. We need to press forward, fight to maintain our land. If we don't do something, we'll lose more than just two or three warriors. We'll lose hundreds. The Queen is not merciful. She will come, and when she does, she will burn everything to the ground!"

Sif was shocked by Terezah's sudden anger. "Is there another way?" She asked.

"Do you have any ideas?" Terezah shot back. Neither Sif nor Loki spoke up. "I know how to play the Queen. I've worked for her for too long a time. She is too proud to think about us possibly trying to do anything so bold. She thinks she inspires fear enough to make the ground quake. Her pride is her weakness."

"I will need someone to come with me. I need backup." Sif said.

A new voice entered the conversation. "I will help in any way I can. I, too, know the Queen well." Dagoro said.

Terezah nodded her head in Dagoro's direction before turning to Loki. "Will you be strong enough to ride out with me?"

"I believe so." Loki lied.

Terezah cocked an eyebrow, but didn't say anything. "We will go on the third day. That will give us time enough to get ready. Since Captain Ondo doesn't like me very much, I'll leave it to you, Mr. Silvertongue, to convince him our strategy will work. Sif, you make sure to get as much information as you can on where Thor could possibly be held. I know the Queen best, so I will ride out with Loki when the time comes and confront her. I have an advantage that even the Queen may not know about."

"And what is that?"

"I'm the beloved princess of Svartalfheim. Many of the Queen's troops only obey her out of fear. I could probably convince a few to leave her side."

"Since when did you become a princess?!" Loki asked. Was he dreaming? Or delusional?

"About two days ago." Terezah said with a smirk. "Oh yeah… Dagoro. You will sneak into Amon'tal with Sif and inform the guards that were loyal to my father that their princess has returned. Maybe you can prepare them. Do we all understand our parts?" They all nodded, slightly shocked at her commanding tone. "Good." Terezah said. And with that, Sif and Dagoro set out to Amon'tal, leaving the Terezah and Loki alone again.

"Will you be ready?" Terezah asked.

Loki clutched at the burning pain in his chest as he tried to sit up. "Yeah…" He breathed out.

Terezah stepped towards him. "Stop lying, Loki. This isn't a time for such things. I can ride out on my own if you aren't well enough to come."

"I'll be fine! I'm already feeling better!" Loki insisted. As he tried again to sit up, a burning agony spread from the spot Freya had stabbed him. He could feel something wasn't right as it just got worse. Terezah stepped forward worriedly and peeled back Loki's bandages. A frustrated hiss came from her as she took in the sight. Black veins spread from the spot Freya had stabbed Loki, and it was slowly pulsing, slowly getting bigger. Loki looked down at his chest and his eyes went wide. "What… is that?" He panted, flinching in pain.

"I don't know… Something your lover left behind after she put a dagger in your chest…"

"She's not my lover!" Loki snapped.

"Since when?"

"Since after you… died…" He trailed off.

Terezah tensed. Her head pounded with a headache. Her eyes ached from the lack of sleep. She needed to get some rest if she was to have a clear head for what they had planned. She rubbed her temples. She hadn't slept well the previous night. She had gotten about an hour's worth of sleep before being woken by Loki. At least he was awake and well rested. "Interesting. Little lovey dove come back for revenge?" Terezah asked with a small smirk.

Loki scoffed and rolled his eyes. At least she wasn't as tense as she had been. "You look exhausted. You need to sleep if you are going to lead us to battle. Or surrender. Whatever you have planned…. And maybe you could get some new armor while you're at it? I apologize… but you reek!" Loki said.

This made Terezah chuckle. "That's what dirt, wolf blood, and sweat smells like. Get used to it." She grinned.

"I would prefer not to." Loki said, leaning his head back onto his pillow.

Terezah sat down on the chair next to his bed. "Do you still have that black dagger I gave you?" She asked.

"Freya stole it…" Loki said, feeling nervous without having it near him. He had grown used to the sharp dagger being in his boot. It was unnerving to no longer have it with him.

"Here…" Terezah gave him the dagger she had been sharpening. It was longer than his other one, with a black blade and even darker shaded hilt. It was heavier too. He looked it up and down, finding the Shadow Warrior rune on it.

"Thank you."

"We need to work on your self-defense. You let the 'Goddess of Love and Beauty' best you in combat." Terezah said Freya's title in mockery.

"She snuck up on me!" Loki tried to use as an excuse.

"So you just let her walk circles around you until she stabbed you square in the chest?" Terezah asked with an accusing look.

Loki's face heated with embarrassment. "No." He said, but Terezah didn't buy it.

"Of course… sentiment. Sentiment is for fools." She said darkly. "I made that mistake one too many times." She stood up and left, leaving Loki in a confused silence. He looked down at his black, veiny chest again and winced when it sent a pulse of agony through his body. This was not good.

* * *

**Okay... sorry for the long wait. I've been working on my other fanfic which everyone loves a lot more than this one. I'm sorry if Terezah doesn't seem as Terezah-y as she should. I'm kinda out of practice writing her. So... yeah. Please leave a comment :) I appreciate the support. I would also love it if you all took two seconds to follow/favorite :) Thank you!**


	35. Chapter 35

Terezah walked through the halls, trying to clear her head. There were so many things happening to her tomorrow. She was going to become a leader, wage war on her own people, and try to save Loki's life along with the royal family. She was on her way back to the Healing Rooms. Loki had pretty much slept the entirety of the last few days. It was good that he could sleep. He wasn't plagued with dreams or stress.

"I am sorry." A hauntingly familiar voice rang through the empty halls.

Terezah whipped around, daggers in hand. It was Zaos. She had almost forgotten about him. Yet, here he was. "And where have you been?" She hissed.

Zaos was leaning against a wall, his blue eyes locked with her golden gaze. "Around. I talked to Dagoro. He said we needed to work it out."

Terezah scoffed and kept walking down the hall, ignoring him. "There is nothing that needs to be worked out. If you screw up, you'll be dead." The threat rang through the hall. Zaos pushed himself from the wall and walked towards her. Terezah instantly held a dagger point out towards him, "I wouldn't take another step if I were you."

Zaos held up his hands, showing he meant no harm. "Please. Can we talk about this?"

"No." Terezah said coldly.

"Please. Give me a chance."

Terezah barked out a laugh. "A chance! A CHANCE?! You want a way to make it up to me?! You want a second chance?! How about going back in time and not killing my mother?! Or better yet! How about you go back in time and not marry her at all!"

Zaos looked crestfallen. "I was young and-"

"SO WAS I! I was ten! TEN! And you murdered the only person I had IN FRONT OF ME! Do you know how that haunts me?! You are the reason I became what I am right now! I am a monster, assassin, whatever you want to call it because of YOU!" Terezah nearly screamed. Angry tears ran down her face.

Zaos was quiet. "I was naive. I drank too much. I couldn't control myself."

"Oh! That's an excuse for everything! I forgive every time you beat and raped my mother or me!"

Zaos winced, his blue eyes falling to the floor. "I really am sorry."

"Sorry doesn't cut it." Terezah whispered in a fierce hiss. Then she smirked. "Do you think if I went to the families of my victims and said sorry they would forgive me just like that?"

Zaos' brows furrowed.

"Lucky for them, I was a clean murderer. No mess. No fun. I just got the job done when nobody was looking. Because I didn't want a poor little child seeing their father or their grandfather murdered in front of them, no matter how terrible their father or grandfather is…"

Realization dawned on his face. "Is that why you didn't kill me?"

Terezah's golden eyes bore into his. He seemed to shrink. "Honestly? I was a coward. I should have killed you when I could have gotten away with it." Terezah lunged forward, the edge of her blade at his throat. "I want to drive this dagger into your heart and rip it out! You don't know how badly I want to!" Zaos swallowed in fear. Terezah hesitantly pulled away, trying to calm down. "But I can't."

"Why?" Zaos asked.

"Why what?" She snapped.

"Why not kill me now? Nobody is around. My little granddaughter wouldn't know it was you. I deserve death…"

Terezah smiled brokenly. "No. Not a monster like you. You don't deserve death. You deserve to suffer."

Zaos' eyes widened, but neither said anymore. Terezah walked away.

* * *

Loki groaned in pain, his chest pulsing. He felt the black veins stretch around him, tightening and sending another wave of agony through his body. He peeled back his shirt and saw it now covered his entire torso and was just peeking above his collar. He sighed and leant back onto the pillow. He hated being forced to stay in bed. Every time he would try and get up and walk, the healer elf would come in and get mad at him. She had threatened to put restraints on him to "cease stupid decisions".

He really was tired right now… Maybe he should just sleep again.

_Bang!_

Loki's eyes bolted open to see Terezah storming into the room. "The nerve!" She shouted angrily, plopping down onto the chair next to him.

"The light elves getting to you again?" Loki asked with a weak smirk.

Terezah glared at him. "Zaos… he tried to apologize…"

Loki closed his eyes again. "Oh…" He trailed off.

Terezah studied him. "You don't look so good. You're really pale… not that you were ever tan…"

"Thank you for complimenting my skin tone." Loki quipped.

"You're welcome, Lokitty." She seemed to relax a bit more, settling into the chair.

"Has Sif reported back?" Loki asked, his eyes still closed.

"No." She said stiffly. "I will just have to trust that she and Dagoro got into the city safely."

There was a long pause. "What about my brother? Have you heard any news-" Loki gasped in pain, clutching his chest and coughing.

Terezah glanced worriedly at him. Too much stress. She was getting a headache. She cradled her head in her hands. War. Leadership. Zaos. Friends. It was all getting to her. It felt as though she were being weighed down with chains. She couldn't think straight, and she felt her mind slowly start to slip.

Loki stopped coughing and looked up at her. Honestly, she looked worse than he had ever seen her. But no matter how many times he told her she needed to get some sleep, she had always said that she was. But she wasn't. The almost black rings under her eyes were proof. Maybe he could tell the healer lady to put some sleeping stuff in her drink… No. Terezah knew about that stuff and that would get her worked up. "You are not sleeping. Perhaps you should accept some sleeping aid from the light elves."

Terezah glared at him. "I don't need their help. I can do fine on my own."

"Then how do you expect to win the war?"

"There is no war yet. And the light elves are hardly warriors."

"They may not be warriors, but they are healers and cooks and craftsmen."

Terezah sighed, rubbing her temples. "I don't need their help. I'll be fine."

Loki groaned in annoyance. "Do not make me force them down your throat!"

"Now you're starting to sound like me." She said with a grin.

"I am serious. Take something."

"Fine!"

Loki leaned against the pillow once more, settling in the comfortable silence.

"Loki?"

"Yes?"

Terezah hesitated. "If you were to choose between vengeance and duty, which would you choose?"

Loki thought about it. Was she talking about Zaos? Or the Queen? Or some other person she hadn't told him about? "It depends." Loki said sleepily. "I would choose my duty over vengeance, but sometimes both go hand in hand."

Terezah pondered this. "Thank you." She got up and left.

Tomorrow was the start of a war.

* * *

**Okay... so, next update will be the war! YAY! Sorry about taking forever to update this story. I couldn't figure out how to continue it because I needed something before the fighting started, so there ya go! Please comment! Also, if you want there to be a romance between Terezah and Loki, go ahead and tell me. Thanks for your patience and support!**


	36. Chapter 36

Terezah glared at the sleeping pill, then shifted her glare up to the light elf nurse. She glared back at Terezah. "What's wrong? Not good enough for you?" The nurse bit out.

Terezah folded her arms across her chest. "Are you sure I won't be asleep for more than ten hours?"

"Yes!" The nurse shoved Terezah out the door and slammed it, much to Terezah's anger. She dragged a dagger down the golden door, leaving a long scratch. She smiled, satisfied, before heading to her chambers.

When she got there, she saw a pile of black clothing on her bed. There was a note that told her to try them on. Curious but cautious, she held them out in front of her. The clothing was meant for Dark Elf Royalty. Black rune stones were embedded in the lining. It was light armor, pitch black, with flexible plating. There were arm sheaths, boots, an obsidian black sword with runes etched into the handle, and a mid-length cape with no real use other than to possibly camouflage her.

Terezah slowly put on the armor. Chainmail underneath, then a tunic, then the armor itself. She locked on her arm guards, pulling on the boots, clasping the cape into place. Finally, she unsheathed the sword, running a hand against the flat part of the blade.

She glanced at herself in the mirror, her golden eyes glittering. She didn't look like an assassin anymore. She looked like a warrior. Regal, fierce… angry. She let her silver hair down, and it was only then that she realized she looked exactly like her mother. And the Dark Queen.

She heard a knock at her door. She sheathed the sword, turning swiftly from the mirror. She twisted the golden knob, swinging the door open. It was Dagoro. His eyes widened as he saw her. He put a fist to his heart, saluting her.

Terezah's eyebrow raised in question. "You're back."

"I see you found the armor, Princess."

Terezah sighed. "I'm not a princess. I'm an assassin."

Dagoro shook his head. "You are no longer a simple assassin. You are the rightful heir to the Throne. And you look like your father." There was a hint of sadness in his gaze.

Terezah remained silent for a few seconds before speaking. "Was your mission a success?"

Dagoro nodded. "Yes. I only informed those I knew I could trust. Those who vowed to serve your father, but were forced to serve the Queen."

"Is the lady Sif back as well?"

Dagoro nodded. "We managed to find the 'Warriors Three', but no royalty."

"Well, at least we have three more warriors." Terezah muttered.

It was quiet for a long time before Dagoro bid her goodnight. He set a hand on her shoulder. "Your mother would be proud." His voice was reverent.

Terezah met his gaze. His gaze held wisdom… but age and deep sorrow as well. He had seen much. And then, that gaze was gone, the seasoned soldier already halfway down the hall. The ever silent guardian.

She shut her room door, stripped off the armor and laid it neatly in a pile by the mirror, and just as she was about to take the pill, she looked at her arms and hair, covered in dirt and blood. She sighed, finally accepted the fact that she need to bathe, or the enemy would retreat just at her smell.

She drew herself a hot bath, scrubbing the dirt off her grey skin. Her hair, which was a nice brown color, she washed several times until it was silver once more. Then, she dried off and climbed into bed, a smile on her face as she thought about the mess she had made in the bathroom.

But the smile slipped away as sleep took over. Her last hours of peace were whittling away.

* * *

Terezah slipped on the armor, clasping the cape on her shoulder and making sure everything was adjusted. She conjured a few… well, twenty… daggers and hid them in various pockets all over the armor. She then retrieved her belt.

It would not help her this time.

It had poisons and trinkets. This was war. But she took a rag and rubbed poison all over her blades before setting the belt aside. All wounds dished out would be fatal ones. She wasn't taking chances.

And finally, she ditched the fancy sword. She took her shape-shifting staff in hand, pulsing magic into it, changing it into a long word. She fit it into the sheath, shifting it a little more until it fit well.

She walked through the halls to the healing rooms, where Loki was. Light elves would stop and gawk at her, trembling with fear or awe. When she got to Loki's room, she opened the doors to find healers and doctors fussing around the room, panicked.

Loki's eyelids fluttered weakly. His breath was shallow. The shadow had spread up his chest to his neck, to his arms, everywhere. It pulsed, feeding off his very life energy. Terezah sat on the chair by his bed, taking his pale hand. "Loki?" She asked.

His eyes slowly opened, lazy drifting towards her.

"You look… well rested. And clean." Loki's voice was softer than a whisper. Weak.

Terezah chuckled nervously. "Indeed. And you look… like you have just kissed the Lady Death."

The corners of Loki's mouth turned up a tiny bit. He coughed, the shadow pulsing stronger. "I will not... be able… to ride out… with you… be… safe." Loki panted out.

"Of course." Terezah whispered. Loki was unconscious. "My friend." She quickly leaned down and kissed his pale forehead. "Stay strong." She murmured. She let go of his hand, standing up, and disappearing from the room without looking back.

Everyone was already on a horse when she got to the stables. There were at least two hundred light elves, led by the very Captain Ondo himself. He sneered at her. "Hello, milady. I didn't think you were going to actually fight with us."

Terezah ignored him, calming herself before the battle. She stilled her mind, her thoughts, concentrating on keep her head.

"We have a horse for you. One of our best." Ondo indicated to the old, dappled work horse that had been saddled with worn reins. The captain seemed pleased. He rode a tall, elegant stallion with golden reins and saddle.

Terezah huffed out a breath of irritation.

"Princess." She heard Dagoro say, coming out from behind a building. He rode an ice wolf with a white coat. And a ginormous ice wolf followed after. Tall, proud, strong. Grey coat and piercing blue eyes that she would know anywhere.

"Khelek'duin." She whispered. The huge wolf slowly approached her. She knelt on one knee, bowing her head in respect. "My companion."

She felt Khelek's icy breath hitting her neck. It was a ritual of trust. One that promised safety for both. She heard his low growl and then, he dropped his head, lowering himself down to the ground. Terezah met his piercing gaze, holding her hand out. He touched his muzzle to her hand, blinking slowly.

Terezah smiled, standing up. "My old friend. I thought I would never see you again."

The wolf seemed to smile as she hoisted herself onto his bare back. He stood, towering over all the horses in the entire courtyard, even Dagoro's wolf. "Where did you find him?" Terezah asked Dagoro incredulously.

Dagoro smiled. "There are paths between the realms that even the Queen doesn't know about. The ones she does know about she has blocked, such as the paths leading to Asgard and our home world."

Terezah nodded, feeling Khelek's strong muscles twitch in anticipation. She snapped her gaze to Ondo, who was glowering. She couldn't help but smirk in triumph. Khelek moved in sync with her very thought, moving in front of Ondo to where Sif and the Warriors Three were on their horses. They grinned at her.

The gates opened, and their small army moved out. She knew they wouldn't stand a chance unless the dark elves switched to her side.

* * *

When they arrived at the destination, they were met by hundreds of dark elf soldiers, all on ice wolves. "Well well! I didn't expect such a weak force! Here I thought you were going to pose an actual threat!" The Queen laughed.

"We have come to surrender! Hand over our royals!" Captain Ondo replied.

This made the Queen and her forces start laughing. Terezah face-palmed. Light elves were idiots. She and Khelek moved forward, in front of Ondo. Ondo yelled at her to mind her place, but she ignored him. Clearly, he was inexperienced with these situations. "Hello, auntie. Miss me?" Terezah taunted.

Delotha glared at her. "Of course I did! My new Shadow Warrior can barely do her job!" Freya, who was at the Queen's right hand, looked embarrassed. "So… about your little friends. Yeah. I just changed my mind. I want to keep them. But of course you anticipated that, didn't you?"

Terezah smirked. "Of course." She winked at Dagoro, and that's when almost half of the Queen's troops filed through the army and came over to her side. Terezah straightened on her horse.

"What?! Get back here! Traitors!" The Queen screamed angrily. "I am your Queen! You will obey me!"

When all soldiers loyal to her switched sides, Terezah stood on Khelek's powerful back, making her visible for all to see. "I am Terezah Aendryr! Daughter of Nythron Aendryr and Dark Elf of Asgard! I have come to restore the peace which Queen Delotha Aendryr has shattered!" Terezah let out a war cry and was joined by the hundreds behind her. Their forces were now equal.

"I still have your precious royal family and Asgardian warriors! Stand down now before I order them to be killed!"

Terezah smiled sweetly. "Sentiment is for fools. And the last time I checked, you didn't have them."

The Queen looked enraged. She whistled, and more than two hundred ice wolves came out of nowhere, growling and snapping their jaws, waiting for the command. Terezah's heart throbbed nervously. Now her side was outmatched.

The Queen's cold smirk returned. "Stand down, or I shall not allow the young prince to live!"

Terezah thought about Loki, whose pale skin was covered in veins of shadow. She bared her pointy teeth.

"Ah! I see you have a weak spot after all. Sentiment is for fools! Am I right?" The Queen laughed.

Terezah was angry now. Really angry. She couldn't afford to have Loki die. She needed a way to find out what had happened to him. "And why would his life be in your hands?"

Freya smirked. "It's called a curse. Amazing thing, don't you think? My little Lokitty won't live past two days' time."

"So… what is your call, little niece? Are you going to surrender? Stop all this bloodshed?"

Terezah refused to think about Loki. "There are casualties in every war. I am not so foolish, as my father was, to give up an entire kingdom for the sake of one life!"

"You are just like the late King! I guess this is goodbye then!" The Queen smirked and screamed at her forces to attack.

All Helheim broke loose.

* * *

**It's been months! But, here it is! Sorry to keep you peoples in suspense. I've been really sick lately, so I apologize for the writing. Sadly, I think it is too late in the story to get some chemistry and romance in there. I will be editing though, so we MIGHT see. I really think they're good as just friends. Anywho, please comment! :)**

**As an answer to "Cessna's" comment: I'm thinking about making this a prequel. As for Terezah dying, you'll have to wait and see ;) Some good guys will die, though. This is war. Not a movie war where no good guys die. **


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